He and Wang sprinted for the other side of the trawler. By following the old procedure, they would never have had time to don wetsuits and scuba tanks. This way, they could possibly escape and dive with the T-9s into the depths of the harbor.
The deep-cover trawler crew already roared away in their inflatables.
“Jump!” shouted Lu. He leaped overboard, plummeted and hit the water with his feet. His flippers were attached to his belt. Curling, with water gurgling in his ears, he halted his descent and groped for his flippers. It seemed like forever before they were on his feet. With several sharp kicks, he headed for the surface. Soon, he spied the nearest T-9 floundering in the sea. He swam harder and climbed aboard at the controls.
“Go,” said Wang, who had crawled on with him.
Lu turned on the T-9. It vibrated with power. He yanked the controls and began to dive, the craft’s propeller spinning wildly. Behind him, he heard the roar of fighter-launched air-to-ship missiles. Then a terrific explosion occurred. He looked back at the last moment. Debris was flying from the trawler. Then Lu’s head was underwater and he faced forward. There was another explosion that hurt his ears. He revved the T-9 and fled at full power, all the time diving deeper into the bay.
He had done it. He’d eliminated two American carriers and he was making his getaway. If the rescue submarine was out there, he would return to China as a hero, providing Wang could keep his mouth shut about killing the East Lightning political officers.
As Lu turned the T-9 slightly, aiming for the San Francisco Bay exit, he wondered if he should stop along the way and kill Wang for good measure. It was probably better to be sure than to trust a talker.
He’d think about it. There was no need to do it yet. He would make the decision once he’d actually gotten away and was out at sea. For now, he needed his wits, some luck, and more than his share of good karma. Ah, life was glorious indeed. He was a legend, and he’d broken an East Lightning political officer’s hand before killing him. Life was not only good—it was sweet.
It had been several days now since Anna had confronted Colin Green. She had gone home, as he’d ordered. Shortly thereafter, several of Mr. Green’s security people had shown up. To her astonishment, they had told her she was recuperating from an illness and would need to stay inside for the next few days.
She’d tried her cell phone, but it hadn’t worked. Nor had her computer.
“This is kidnapping!” she declared.
The chief security agent had merely shaken his head. “We’re here to see that you have a full recovery, Ms. Chen. Then you’ll return to work.”
Anna presently sat in her living room, switching between CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC. She watched the ongoing coverage of the sneak carrier attack.
The two supercarriers were wrecks. Susan Salisbury of Fox News—a stunning redhead and a former Miss America—stood at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco with a microphone in her hand. Behind her in the distance was the USS
Looking at the wreckage on the TV, Anna Chen doubted that.
“Has there been any further news concerning the identity of the terrorists making the attacks?” asked the prim Fox anchor, Don Howard.
“I’ve heard there’s several murdered fisherman aboard the trawler,” Susan Salisbury said. “They were killed assassin-style, apparently before the sneak attack took place. The authorities have reason to believe the boat was hijacked by Taiwanese extremists.”
“That’s very interesting, Susan,” the anchor said. “Retired General Ross is waiting in the Green Room. General, could you explain to our audience why Taiwanese extremists might wish to stage such an assault on our carriers.”
As white-haired, retired General Ross appeared on the TV, the apartment’s front door opened. Pressing mute with her remote, Anna looked up.
Two new security agents moved into the living room. They scanned the premises, wearing dark sunglasses and with jacks in their ears. They ignored the blond agent watching TV with Anna.
The National Security Advisor to the President, Colin Green, entered the room behind them. His gray hair was perfectly styled and his three-thousand dollar suit looked as if it had just been taken off a rack. “Outside, everyone,” he said crisply. “I need to speak to her alone.”
As the others filed outside, Green adjusted his tie. It seemed like an unconscious gesture. He had an expensive gold ring with a dark stone on his finger, showing he was married.
“You’ve been watching the news?” asked Green. He moved to the couch but didn’t sit down.
“You’ve had me kidnapped,” Anna said.
The National Security Advisor stared at her. All warmth fled from him, leaving the naked, calculating man visible—the one who had climbed high in American political life. He took an audible breath and abruptly sat beside her. “I don’t think you understand the situation, Ms. Chen.”
“Yes I do,” said Anna. “The Chinese destroyed two American carriers.”
“Chinese…why not Taiwanese extremists?” he asked.
“I have a request to make,” she said.
He frowned. “Now see here, Ms. Chen. You must understand—” He scowled. “Do you happen to know what it means if China and America hurl their ICBMs at each other? I know what the experts say. The laser defense systems and the anti-missile rockets would shoot down nearly ninety-five percent of the attack. I’ve read the reports. The Chinese are sure they have a superior system, and we have American know-how. Let me tell you something. That’s a load of crap. The ICBM-people have their bright ideas on how to counter the defenses: reflector strips, spinning projectiles, aerosol clouds and armored ICBMs. It means it’s just like football, a game between offense and defense, and both sides are always coming up with something revolutionary that will change everything. Believe me, that’s all a load, too. It isn’t revolutionary and never will be because nothing works exactly how you think it’s going to. There is no perfect plan—ever. Therefore, if China and America hurl their ICBMs at each other, it would be a worldwide holocaust because more missiles would get through than either side believes. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that on my conscience. In fact, I so don’t want that on my conscience that I’ll make some very hard decisions about people like you to save millions of others.”
“That’s why you kidnapped me?”
“You’re my China expert, right?” Green said.
After several heartbeats, Anna said, “I tried to warn you about—”
Green made a sharp gesture as he said, “That’s already water under the bridge. We’re a long ways past that, believe me.” He pulled a pack of Lucky Strikes out of the inside pocket of his suit. Extracting one, he stuck the cigarette between his lips and clicked a lighter, inhaling as he lit it. Leaving the pack and lighter on the coffee table, he took the cigarette and exhaled smoke through his nostrils.
“You’re not a Buddhist or Taoist by any chance?” he asked.
“No.”
“And you’re my Chinese expert?”
Anna turned away from the smoke. It smelled foul. “I am not anyone’s expert anymore.”
He dragged on the cigarette, as he seemed to study the ceiling. “You and I have had what I call a miscommunication. We’ve both made some mistakes. I’m willing to admit mine. Why can’t you admit yours?”
“I didn’t make a mistake.”
“Ah, there you are. You’re too proud, too stubborn. Look at me, girl.” He put a hand on his chest. “I was trying to stop a war. I want to save the planet. Hell, I’m trying to save the human race from annihilating itself.”
“You have the same evidence I do. Surely, you must have realized we were about to be attacked.”
“I don’t like American oil rigs exploding,” Green said. “I don’t like having oil pollute our beaches with tons of crude, killing generations of irreplaceable wildlife. But that’s a long, long way from wanting to start a nuclear war
