Defiance

by Don Brown

  "Secretary Lopez."

  "Yes, Mr. President."

  "I've asked the Pentagon to draft a contingency plan just in case."

  "Yes, sir, and we have, sir."

  "Who will be presenting?"

  "The chairman of the Joint Chiefs, sir."

  "Very well," the president said. "Admiral Ayers?"

  Admiral John F. Ayers Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, rose. "Thank you, Mr. President." In his ser vice dress blue uniform, Ayers walked to the head of the table, to a position just beside the president. Several charts were positioned on an easel and covered with a cloth.

  "Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, distinguished members of the National Security Council, at the president's direction, the Joint Chiefs have developed a plan for a military operation in Mongolia, which would involve the use of a carrier task force, from which a SEAL team would be launched off the Russian coast. This would involve violation of both Russian and Chinese airspace, so as the secretary of state has pointed out, it is not without risk.

  "We've given this operation the code name Operation Genghis Kahn, named after the legendary Mongolian leader of the thirteenth century.

  "Commander, Seventh Fleet has forward-deployed the USS Ronald Reagan to a position about two hundred nautical miles northeast of Japan, anticipating that any aerial incursion into landlocked Mongolia would be launched from either the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, or the Sea of Okhostk."

  Ayers sipped a glass of water, then tapped the Yellow Sea with his pointer.

  "Now the problem with the Yellow Sea is that you have Communist North Korea on the peninsula to the right, it's very small, and we've got problems with flying over Chinese population centers."

  OPERATION GENGHIS KAHN

  Chart 1

  Theater of Operations

  1. Yellow Sea 2. Ulaanbaatar 3. Trans-Mongolian RR 4. Suspected location of terrorist campsite

  "Ladies and gentlemen, two things I want you to consider on this map. First, we have the location of the Yellow Sea." He tapped the Yellow Sea. "The second is the location of the Mongolian capital city, Ulaanbaatar.

  "Now if you start at Ulaanbaatar, you'll notice this line running down from Russia, through Ulaanbaatar, down to the Chinese border. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the great Trans-Mongolian Railroad, slicing through Mongolia and connecting Russia to China.

  "Parallel to the railway is a sparsely traveled two-lane road that connects Ulaanbaatar to the Chinese border.

  "Now if you look at the point at which the Trans-Mongolian Railroad enters China, we believe that the terrorist camp is in this vicinity. In fact" -- the admiral sipped some water -- "we think the camp is somewhere in this area." He tapped on the map again. "This is approximately fifty miles or so northeast of the spot where the Trans- Mongolian Railroad enters China. Located at point four on the map."

  "Here's the problem. The Yellow Sea is surrounded by hostile nuclear powers, including North Korea to the right here, and China to the left. We move a carrier battle group in here, and it will be noticed. Plus, the shortest route would take us over the Beijing area, which is the most heavily populated area of China.

  "We have the same problem with the Sea of Japan. A launch from here would involve flying over North Korea and, again, the heavily populated Beijing area." He turned to his aide. "Commander, would you pour me a little more water, please?"

  "Yes, sir, Admiral."

  The aide complied. "Now then, if you'll look at the east coast of North Korea and follow it all the way up the coast, about three-quarters of the way up the map, you'll see the Russian port city of Vladivostok." Another tap. "Now, gentlemen, the Russian navy ain't what she used to be, but we still must be concerned with them. And Vladivostok is the major Russian naval facility in the Pacific and is the headquarters of their Pacific fleet."

  "Please go on," the president said.

  "Yes, sir. Having grave concerns about launches from the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, there is a third option. It would require a much greater strain on our ships, our planes, and our SEALS. But option three would be our best option for avoiding radar detection. It would also be the most dangerous to our fleet.

  Ayers flipped to a second chart.

  OPERATION GENGHIS KAHN

  Chart 2

  Sea of Okhostk

  1. Initial flight path (projected) 2. USS Ronald Reagan launch position 3. USS Ronald Reagan current position

  "This, gentlemen, is the Sea of Okhotsk. Now if you look at the bottom center of the map, at the intersection of 40 degrees north latitude and 150 degrees east longitude, this" -- tap-tap -- "is the current location of USS Ronald Reagan.

  "Now, if the president orders this option, Reagan will sail a course slightly west of due north, following a course along the 150th longitude, entering the Sea of Okhotsk about sundown through the sparsely inhabited Kuril Islands.

  "Once she clears the Kurils, she would maintain a course due north to the 50th latitude, and from there, turn northwest. Now if you look at the 140th longitudinal line, you will see that it forms the hypotenuse of a triangle with the Russian coastline.

  "We would launch our choppers somewhere just a few miles west of the 140th longitudinal line, about the 55th latitudinal line, right about... here." Tap-tap. "Right in the middle of the water."

  "From that point, our choppers, launched with no lights and flying just above the waves, would fly due west, crossing the Russian coast and praying they aren't detected. When they reach the coast -- and by the way, this is a very thinly populated area -- they would fly at treetop level, again to avoid Russian radar.

  "Of course, this area is mountainous, which helps us duck under radar but also makes for deadly flying conditions. Our choppers would fly due west until they reached the Russian landmass, then turn southwest for a direct flight through these mountains and into Mongolia."

  Ayers flipped to the final chart.

  OPERATION GENGHIS KAHN

  Chart 3

  Mongolia

  1. Suspected location of terrorist camp 2. Flight path (projected)

  "This is a little closer map of Mongolia. Our choppers, if we make it this far, would fly a line from the northeastern corner of the map, just past this village of Choybalsan, down to a point just northeast of Sayshand, where we believe the terrorist camp is located. We hope that we would achieve optimal surprise under the cover of darkness and that our SEALs would rescue Lieutenant Commander Colcernian. We would fly back out along roughly the same path we took on the way in, rendezvousing with the Reagan the next morning just after sunrise."

  Ayers took a sip of water. "Questions?"

  The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency raised his hand. "Admiral, you mentioned that launching from the Sea of Okhotsk would pose the greatest danger for our men and equipment."

  "That is correct, Director."

  "Could you elaborate?"

  "As I mentioned a moment ago, the distance from the Yellow Sea is about six to seven hundred miles one way. That alone would be a strain on even our longest-range choppers currently active on our carrier task forces. In contrast, a launch from the Sea of Okhotsk is going to be almost twice that distance. We estimate 1,300 miles from the launch point.

  "There are no choppers in the U.S. military that can fly that far without refueling. For example, the SH-60F Seahawks aboard the Reagan have a tactical range of about 420 miles.

  "Now, the chopper we'll use for this mission is the MH-53E Sea Dragon. We'll fly the Sea Dragons in from Japan. The Sea Dragon has a range of 1,050 miles. That will just about get us to the Mongolian border." Ayers took another sip of water, then added, "One way." He set his glass down. "That means we'll need to send choppers in to drop fuel tanks at several points along the way -- on the ground -- so that the Sea Dragons can land and refuel -- both going and coming.

  "This is mountainous terrain, and this whole operation is going to be very dangerous, but there's just no other way to make this work."


  "But don't we run the risk that someone on the ground will spot the fuel tanks?" This question was asked by the secretary of the treasury.

  "Yes, that is a risk, Mr. Secretary."

  The secretary of state spoke up. "Set the fuel down where?"

  "Two places, Mr. Secretary. The first is about six hundred miles from the launch point, just before we reach the Chinese border, near the Russian village of Blagoveshchernick.

  "Then there would be a second drop point just inside the Mongolian border. Under the plan, we will not set down in China, obviously because of the dense population there."

  "Excuse me, Admiral."

  "Yes, Mr. Vice President."

  "How would the choppers that bring in the fuel get back to the ship?"

  "They would not, sir. Navy SEALs would remain on the ground and destroy those choppers. Obviously we don't want these choppers to fall into the hands of the Russians.

  "All the choppers designated for this mission have been painted jet black, and all insignia visibly identifying them as U.S. Navy aircraft have been removed.

  "After the SEALs have destroyed the fuel choppers, then the rescue chopper, on its way back from the Gobi, will pick those SEALs up when it refuels. There won't be enough fuel to go around. Ladies and gentlemen, this mission will cost us two or possibly three helicopters that will be used in the refueling part of this operation."

  "Once we have identified the location of this camp, execution of this plan calls for launching a tomahawk cruise missile into the area, designed to coincide with the SEALs' arrival at the base to support the attack. Any tomahawk attack will be designed to disrupt and distract the terrorists, creating confusion while our SEALs go in and rescue the detainee. Now, the Virginia class nuclear submarine USS North Carolina is already on patrol in the Sea of Okhotsk ready to support this operation."

  There was a collective moment of silence around the table.

  The secretary of state spoke up again. "Admiral, as I understand this, we haven't pinpointed the location of this camp. Is that correct?"

  "Not yet, sir."

  "Doesn't it bother you that if this place exists, our satellites haven't been able to find it?"

  "Mr. Secretary, I'd like to have an aerial photo of the precise spot, but frankly, I'm not surprised that we don't yet."

  That comment triggered whispers around the table.

  "Would you care to elaborate on that?" the president asked.

  "Yes, Mr. President. The Gobi is a huge land mass. Our satellites only get two passes a day over the area, and unless we point them exactly in the right place, it may take us awhile. It could take weeks."

  "Then why the hurry?" the secretary of state asked.

  "Because of this Plan 547 that has come into play. If it's legitimate, it means Lieutenant Commander Colcernian could be executed in less than three days, sir. We just don't have the luxury of time."

  "And we don't have the luxury of starting World War III, either." The secretary of state angrily waved his hands in the air.

  "Admiral." This was the voice of Cynthia Hewitt, the president's national security advisor. "Without satellites to pinpoint the exact target area, and with fuel as a potential problem, how will you find the target area?"

  "Excellent question. We've been in touch with the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Church, and this missionary, Mr. Mangum, is headed back out to the area. He will be accompanied by Special Agent McGillvery, who, as you know, is the NCIS agent who broke open this case. Their job will be to plant high frequency homing devices in the area around the camp. Our satellites will acquire the signal and then relay targeting information to the choppers, to the USS Reagan, and to the USS North Carolina.

  "So the success of this mission," the secretary of state grunted, "depends on a Southern Baptist missionary."

  "With respect, Mr. Secretary," Admiral Ayers responded, "the success or failure of this mission will depend on a lot of brave Americans -- the crew of the Reagan, the North Carolina, the chopper pilots who have volunteered to fly this mission and are thereby risking their lives, and the Navy SEAL team that will be going in. And yes, the missionary who found the camp will be a key player in leading us back there, but I would point out that Special Agent McGillvery will be in charge on the ground until the SEALs arrive."

  "If they arrive," Secretary of State Mauney corrected.

  "Yes, sir," the admiral said.

  "Thank you for the briefing," President Williams said. "Okay, any final discussions on this before I make my decision?"

  "Mr. President," the secretary of state spoke up, "I urge you not to do this, sir. The evidence is just too sketchy. All we have, really, is the unconfirmed account from the Southern Baptist missionary and sketchy pictures of someone we can't identify. Remember, we know from Father Robert that Jeanette L'Enfant's hair was dyed red as a disguise before her capture. We know she is missing.

  "Give diplomacy a chance, sir. Let us bring the French in on this. This may be their hostage, not ours. Together, maybe we can work with the French and come up with a diplomatic solution. The French have close ties with the Arabs, the Chinese, and the Russians.

  "And even if we could know for sure that this is Lieutenant Commander Colcernian, Mr. President, we're talking about a possible military exchange with the two most powerful nuclear nations on earth next to us. It's an act of war to send military aircraft into Chinese and Russian airspace uninvited.

  "What if, Mr. President, the entire Russian Air Force is unleashed against the Ronald Reagan? I know we have the best navy in the world, but those numbers are overwhelming. That's five thousand dead Americans in one swoop. Or worse, what if this triggers a North Korean invasion of the South, or a Chinese invasion of Taiwan? Or what if a trigger-happy Russian sub commander retaliates by launching a missile across American airspace?

  "Please, Mr. President. I will support you either way. But please consider the grave consequences of your actions."

  "Thank you, Secretary Mauney." The president turned to his defense secretary. "Secretary Lopez, what do you say?"

  "Mr. President, Secretary Mauney is right that this is a dangerous mission, but we can do this. Despite the great global sentiment against us, our forces are the best in the world. We can carry out this plan, and we can do it at night. We can fly through the dangerous mountain ranges in China and Russia, and if Lieutenant Commander Colcernian is there, we can bring her home.

  "Mr. President, an American naval officer has been taken hostage. With due respect to the secretary of state, this evidence is not sketchy. All of the pieces add together. The report brought by Father Robert. The confirmation of this Plan 547 by McGillvery's interrogation of Quasay. Now the photographs of a woman in the Gobi Desert roughly matching Colcernian's description.

  "Mr. President, this is about principle. It's about an American officer whose life will end if we don't act. Think if we do nothing and then see a public execution on television. Think of the damage that would do to the prestige of America.

  "Mr. President, like Lieutenant Commander Colcernian, you were once a Navy JAG officer. And you have said to the terrorists, 'You can run, but you can't hide.' Those were your words.

  "They are banking on us thinking just like the secretary of state has suggested we think. Not that there's anything wrong with Secretary Mauney's reasoning, but if we do nothing and they execute Colcernian, they win.

  "I remember 1942, Mr. President. Japan struck Pearl Harbor. Franklin Roosevelt sent Jimmy Doolittle and a brave group of American pilots on an incredibly dangerous mission to prick the heart of Japan -- right in the middle of Tokyo.

  "Let us do our jobs, Mr. President. We won't just prick the heart of terrorism with this mission. We'll knock them over the head with a sledgehammer.

  "That's all, sir."

  Only the sound of the ticking grandfather clock could be heard. The collective eyes of the National Security Council rested on Mack Williams, President of the United States.r />
  Deep down, Mack believed Diane Colcernian was alive, and in Mongolia. But the secretary of state had a point. Saving her life could cause nuclear war. But the secretary of defense was right too. Pull this off, and America would demonstrate to terrorists that they can't hide anywhere in the world.

  What to do?

  Lord, you say in the book of James that if anyone lacks wisdom, all he has to do is ask. Well, I'm asking you now.

  The words he had spoken to Zack Brewer came back to him. "If we can find that camp and if -- and this is a big if -- we are reasonably assured that Lieutenant Commander Colcernian is there, we'll go get her. Zack, do you understand me?"

  "Secretary Lopez?"

  "Yes, Mr. President?"

  "Order execution of Operation Genghis Kahn."

  "Yes, sir, Mr. President!"

  "All military commands under your authority are to provide full cooperation to the U.S. Navy and its subordinate commands in the prosecution of this action. This National Security Council will reconvene in six hours and every six hours thereafter until prosecution of this action is complete, or at such other time as ordered by me."

  "Yes, Mr. President!"

  "This meeting is adjourned."

  CHAPTER 50

  Council of Ishmael temporary headquarters

  Rub al-Khali Desert

  250 miles southeast of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

  Adbur Rahman stood outside his leader's office and looked through the cracked door. The simple sign, a white cloth, its message written in Arabic and stenciled in green, hung on the wall behind the leader's desk.

  God the merciful, God the compassionate.

  On the wall on each side were paintings of the former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, and the man al-Akhma called "the greatest Muslim to walk the earth since the prophet Mohammed himself," the glorious hero of 9/11, Osama bin Laden.

  Rahman knocked.