by Ted Halstead
Though Kharlov wasn't sure how easy that would be, even if he tried. He was certainly bigger and stronger. But he had seen those qualities fail against those better trained before.
And he remembered what Smyslov had said about obeying Alina if he wished to remain in the FSB. Which he wanted very much indeed.
Alina's eyes glittered as she said, "You will make it up to me."
Kharlov did his best to nod. Dots were beginning to dance at the edge of his vision.
Dispassionately, he thought to himself that before long, his reduced oxygen intake would end up with him unconscious on the floor.
Before that happened, though, Alina's face moved even closer until it seemed all he could see was her eyes.
They were blue, cold, and devoid of sympathy or feeling.
"Your training will begin now," Alina said, her breath hot on Kharlov's face.
Kharlov once again did his best to nod but wasn't sure he'd been successful.
Yes, apparently so, because Alina's face moved back a fraction, and now he could see her crimson smile.
A smile with no trace of humor.
"There is one thing you must learn above all others. It is where your training will begin. Do you know what it is?" Alina asked.
Her grip tightened, and the dots in his vision multiplied and danced harder.
It took everything Kharlov had to shake his head. No, he didn't know.
Now Alina's eyes were back against his as his vision began to blur and consciousness fade.
Her grip relaxed a fraction, and his eyes came back into focus.
Alina's eyes were still as blue and cold as before. He felt as though he were falling into them as she said a single word.
"Discipline."
Chapter Sixty-Four
Zhongnanhai Compound
Beijing, China
General Yang closed the door behind him as he walked into President Gu's office. "Good morning, Mr. President," he said as he took a seat in front of Gu's desk.
No salute. No pause for Gu to invite him to sit.
Both of them knew the point Yang was making. Gu might be President. But he wasn't going to be giving Yang orders.
On paper, Gu still had that authority. But Yang had evidence Gu knew about the plot that had led to President Lin's death.
Could Yang leak that evidence without implicating himself as well? Maybe not.
But both of them knew it was a risk Gu would never take.
"Good morning to you, General. I understand you wish to brief me on an operation against Forward?" Gu said.
Yang nodded. "Yes, sir. It is now underway. We judged that the threat posed by Forward was too great to delay action. Several non-nuclear weapons have been detonated close enough to disable satellites they have been using for communication and propaganda distribution through Gateway devices."
Gu frowned. "Non-nuclear, you say. I'm not an expert, but it sounds like you're talking about weapons using an electromagnetic pulse. I thought an EMP had to be generated with a nuclear weapon."
Yang did his best to hide his surprise. As well as his flash of anger against, well, himself.
A fool would have never reached Gu's position. If Yang failed to remember that, he and his allies in the military could quickly lose the power they had so recently gained.
"You are correct, sir, that a nuclear weapon is by far the most efficient and powerful way to generate an EMP. However, we needed to ensure the pulses from our missiles did not affect our own satellites. The weapons we fired used an explosively pumped flux compression generator to create an EMP. No nuclear warheads were involved," Yang replied.
Gu shook his head. "These were American satellites. Don't you think you should have consulted with me in advance so that I could plan for the Americans’ reaction?"
Yang nodded. Well, that was a critical point, wasn't it? Was the military free to do as it liked, or not?
"Sir, given Forward's role in the assassination of President Lin, we thought no delay could be tolerated," Yang replied.
Gu looked at Yang silently for a moment. They both knew Forward had nothing to do with Lin's death.
But Gu could hardly say so aloud.
Finally, Gu said, "That may be, but we can still expect an American protest. And what about the countries neighboring us that relied on those satellites?"
Yang shrugged. "I suggest you remind the American President that they destroyed one of our bases and sank one of our submarines. They should be grateful that we have done no more than retaliate against a few satellites. Ones owned by a private American company, not even the American government."
Gu frowned. He knew Hernandez and doubted that Yang's last point on SpaceLink's private status would impress him.
But Hernandez would understand that the destruction of the base at Ziyou Island and the sinking of a Chinese submarine required a response. Yes, this could be considered a proper settling of accounts.
Yang continued, "President Lin offered the Americans a deal where we would launch satellites to replace the ones our citizens found so easy to hack. Ones that we control to provide Internet access to our neighbors. We could repeat that offer to our neighbors, and since SpaceLink's satellites are no longer available, perhaps this time it will be accepted."
Gu nodded. Yes, maybe it would, he thought.
"Please pass on my congratulations to General Shi for the role his men played in avoiding disaster at the Three Gorges Dam and the Qinshan nuclear power plant. Without his foresight, we might still be recovering from disasters greater than any others in our history. You may tell him that the entire Politburo has taken notice. And, of course, they also appreciate your role in dealing with the threat posed by the American satellites. I’m sure, even more after today," Gu said smoothly.
"Thank you, Mr. President," Yang said stiffly. Message received, he thought. Shi's accomplishments were considered greater than his.
Never mind that all Shi's men had done at Qinshan was arrest the two managers who had actually prevented the nuclear power plant from killing thousands in Shanghai's southern suburbs. And maybe even some in Shanghai itself.
Yang suddenly realized why Shi had sent video crews as well as troops to the Xiluodu Dam, the Three Gorges Dam and the Qinshan nuclear power plant. Like people everywhere, Chinese citizens believed what they saw.
And what they had seen in all those places, according to the Army reporters speaking over the video footage, was Army troops rescuing them from disaster.
On the one hand, the Xiluodu Dam’s manager had certainly deserved execution for risking the collapse of the Three Gorges Dam.
On the other, the execution of both Qinshan managers appeared to be a poor reward for preventing a disaster that could have killed more people than Fukushima.
Well, it did stop them from protesting their innocence, Yang thought. And so far, it looked like Shi and the Party had managed between them to keep the truth from getting out.
But I wonder how many brave and competent men we can afford to sacrifice before we end up regretting it.
"On a personal note, I join the Politburo in congratulating you on spotting the danger of striking an Indian air station. The risk of escalation to a nuclear conflict was, as you thought, indeed too great," Gu said.
Well, Yang thought, maybe his standing was better than he'd thought.
Yang had thrown the dice and sent a classified report detailing his objections to attacking an Indian air station to the Politburo just before Lin's car was due to explode.
Admiral Bai had sent his classified report to the Politburo on Lin's order to attack an American base as soon as Lin's death had been confirmed. It included the fact that Bai had done nothing to carry out Lin's order. Because, Bai had claimed, he was waiting for confirmation of those orders from Navy HQ in Beijing.
Yang wondered what the Navy brass in Beijing had thought of the revelation that Lin had asked Admiral Bai to launch an attack on an American naval base. Without their knowledge or ap
proval.
Well, in a way, it didn't matter. The Politburo had found a way to thank Bai for dragging his feet on carrying out Lin's orders without Politburo or Navy HQ approval.
Admiral Bai was now in command of the entire Navy.
Too bad Yang couldn't claim some of the credit for stopping Lin's attack on the Americans. Since killing Lin had been the only way to do it.
The Politburo's appreciation for what they did know, though, helped explain their relatively easy acceptance of the military's new independence. For now, at least.
Gu interrupted Yang's thoughts by saying, "Good work, General. You are dismissed."
Yang took his time standing and even more walking out of Gu's office.
Yes. They both knew that for now, Gu wouldn't be giving any orders to the military. At least, any the military didn't like.
Chapter Sixty-Five
FBI Headquarters
Washington DC
Bob Hansen looked up from the report just filed by the Mexico City's legal attaché, as the FBI field office there was called, and shook his head.
It simply didn't fit.
He'd been excited to see a Coast Guard report that said three Russians with diplomatic passports had been intercepted off the coast of California.
Two men, and one woman.
Maybe the sniper, his spotter, and their handler?
Too bad Coast Guard procedure for a routine inspection was just to take pictures of identifying documents, not the boat’s passengers. The general description of the two men in the report could have fit the security camera images from the sniper’s building in San Francisco. What could be seen through hoods and sunglasses, anyway.
So could the photos in the passports.
But there were agents in Hansen’s office who could have matched the security camera images too.
Hansen had been less happy to see that all three Russians had California fishing licenses. And had actually caught fish.
OK, fine. Their backstory was better than average. That didn't make them innocent.
But now the rest of their story had checked out. They really had gone to Ensenada. Their boat really had been sold in the name of the Russian Embassy in Mexico City.
Just as they had told the Coast Guard they would.
How likely was it that the Russians had all that lined up to support agents leaving the country after one assassination? Sure, their intelligence people were supposed to be good.
Were they really that good?
The biggest problem, though, was motive. Why would the Russians work for the Chinese?
Hansen sighed and shook his head. There was nothing here to take to his boss.
But Hansen still didn't like it.
On both the rocket explosion in Florida and the assassination attempt in California, all they had was a big fat zero.
Hansen made a note of the three Russians' names to enter into a special Homeland Security database.
The next time these Russians came to America, Hansen was going to check up on them personally.
Chapter Sixty-Six
Downtown Office Building
Shanghai, China
Director Pan beamed as Wang Yan walked into his office. "So good to see you! Please, come and sit with me."
Moments later, they were both sitting on Pan's sofa, with a tea set before them.
I wonder why Pan's office always smells of sandalwood, Wang thought. She saw a few carved wooden decorative pieces that could be made of sandalwood.
No, she thought, too small.
Wang had read that American casinos pumped tailored fragrances through their ventilation systems to make their customers stay longer. Would Pan spend his money on something so foolish?
Or was it just Pan's cologne?
Wang shook herself. Why was her mind spinning on such a useless tangent? She had to focus.
"So, tell me everything. Have we secured Chen as an asset?" Pan asked as he poured Wang's tea.
Wang warmed her hands on the cup and inhaled the tea's delicate bouquet.
Yes. Money had its advantages. Wang knew Pan's personal blend cost as much per pot as she spent on monthly rent.
But, when you were a billionaire, who cared?
Wang nodded. "We have. And her coding skills are improving even more rapidly than you predicted. Her work for us started at world-class. Now Chen is moving into a league of her own. It's as though each challenge we set her spurs her on to greater heights."
Wang paused and shook her head.
"You hired me years ago as Forward's first hacker before you learned I have other skills. I am barely good enough to understand just how much better she is, and she's still improving. We must keep her at all costs."
Pan nodded. "I am already paying one far heavier than I expected. Was it really necessary to move in with her? How can you breathe in that tiny apartment?"
Wang smiled. "We should have both predicted that outcome. Chen couldn't sneak around behind her old girlfriend's back. That's not who she is. I'm glad that you took my advice and sent another Forward agent to comfort Tang after their breakup."
"It wasn't difficult, according to the report I got back. A rebound relationship that may not last too long, but it should keep the way clear for you. I don't want you to have to deal with any reconciliation attempts," Pan said.
Wang smiled. "I don't think you have to worry. Chen seems happy enough."
Pan looked at Wang intently. "And what about you? Are you happy?"
"Are you asking if I've forgotten this is all about making sure Chen keeps working for us? No, I haven't," Wang said, looking pointedly around Pan's opulent office.
"You mentioned Chen's studio apartment. It's not 'Another Heaven.' At all," Wang said, shaking her head.
Pan immediately recognized the reference to the famous Chinese love song, a staple at wedding celebrations, and laughed.
"I'm sorry to make you suffer in such a small cage, but it won't be forever. Now, do you think there's any chance Chen suspects I arranged for her girlfriend Tang to be away at a conference while you seduced her?" Pan asked.
The question, put so bluntly, almost took Wang off guard.
It doesn't sound too pretty when it's put that way, does it? But it's exactly what happened.
Yes, Pan had his own set of skills. Wang would forget that at her peril.
Those thoughts flashed through Wang's mind in less than a second.
While Wang's head was already shaking.
"No," she said calmly. "If Chen had any such suspicions, she'd have already confronted me, and she hasn't. She's very direct. It takes some getting used to, in fact."
Pan grinned. "Compared to me, you mean. Do you think she has any suspicions about our real goal?"
Wang didn't have to think before again shaking her head. "No. You were wise to tell her most of the truth at your last meeting with her. She is far from stupid."
"I've found the most effective lie includes as much truth as possible. I meant every word I said to Chen. I did use the Shanghai Stock Exchange attack to implicate certain generals in corruption. There too, the truth was an important element. Nearly every general has broken the law in various ways while supplementing their official salary. I just threw the spotlight on some of them and let government investigators do the rest," Pan said.
"But all that did was clear the way for Yang and Shi. Those generals will be able to consolidate their power and free the military from Party oversight…"
Wang's voice trailed off as Pan's smile widened.
"That's what you wanted," Wang said wonderingly. "But why?"
"First, until now, the Party held all the levers of power. By taking away its absolute control of the military, we made the task of overthrowing the Party that much simpler," Pan said.
Wang nodded slowly but then frowned.
"But what's to stop the outcome you told Chen you feared? That the military will replace the Party, and institute a rule that's even more oppressive? Surely that is
not the Second Chinese Revolution we planned, is it?" Wang asked.
"There too, I told the truth. That is indeed a risk we must avoid. But the military's reputation will never survive a crushing defeat. And that is what it will suffer when they attempt to invade Taiwan," Pan said.
"How can you be so sure? I remember what you told Chen about how the military has grown. What if the invasion of Taiwan succeeds?" Wang asked.
Pan smiled. "Some secrets I cannot yet share. But believe me when I say, they will fail."
Wang shrugged. "Fine. Say the invasion of Taiwan fails. And that the people blame both the Party and the military for that failure. Who then will replace them?"
"Again, I told Chen the truth. We will hold elections. I just left out the part about money and gerrymandering," Pan said.
"Money is clear enough, and you've talked about it before. I get how money can buy campaign ads. And pay for projects to curry favor with voters in a particular district. But what is gerrymandering?" Wang asked.
Pan laughed. "A new term I've just learned from the Americans. Well, it's actually just new to me. Do you know when they invented it?"
Wang shook her head.
"In 1813! A cartoonist drew a map of a voting district a party had created to ensure their candidate would be elected, which was shaped like a salamander. The party's leader was a Governor Gerry. And so, the 'gerrymander.' Truly, as so often, Americans lead the way," Pan said with frank admiration in his voice.
"Is this technique really so valuable? Won't our opponents object?" Wang asked.
Pan nodded approvingly. "Yes, they will. But even though Americans have been objecting for over two centuries, gerrymandering still happens. Thanks to computer-drawn districts, it has become even more effective. One American state had over half of its voters select one party, but the other party sent over three-quarters of its candidates to Congress. All because of how the successful party had drawn the electoral map."
"But what about the courts? Surely they will stop such a travesty!" Wang said.
Pan grinned. "You would think so. But no. Even the American Supreme Court has refused to intervene. Because the party that uses gerrymandering most has succeeded in naming the majority of the Supreme Court's members. We will follow this example. Our people must believe that after the Second Revolution, China has achieved true democracy. But it will be an illusion."