A Bradley clanked around a building. This one had Canadian markings.
“We need an RPG,” the First Rank said bitterly.
Chiang debated putting on his jetpack and flying one last time. He loved drifting in the air like a bird. Then the Bradley fired. Chiang and the First Rank ducked, but it didn’t matter. The shell hit and Lieutenant Chiang died defending the Anchorage airport.
Admiral Ling stared at the table in his ready room. He had taken the international airport. Then the Canadians had decided to play the part of men. A costly air battle with them had kept him from reinforcing his war-winning move in Anchorage. Even now, Canadian and American soldiers reoccupied the airport.
If that wasn’t enough, American partisans harried his supply-lines. The partisans bled him of precious munitions. Worst of all, however, was the incompetence of the Chairman’s nephew, the Vice-Admiral.
“No!” said Ling. He struck a table and his eyes were red with anger and lack of sleep. “The imbecile, the buffoon! How dare he cheat me of my carefully wrought victory. I have paid with precious Chinese blood for this chance to roar our troops to Anchorage. Now this opportunity to quickly advance is being snatched out of my hands.”
“Please, Admiral, I ask you to calm down,” Commodore Yen said.
“How can I calm down when that fool nephew of the Chairman has thrown my carefully calculated plans into disarray?”
“You shouldn’t say such things.”
“Do you deny that his imbecility has hopelessly entangled our two commands?”
“He is eager for the laurels—”
“I will not listen to you defend him!” Ling shouted. “He has cost me a quick victory. Our brigades are now hopelessly entangled on Highway One. Everything has been brought to a standstill. Worse, the Canadians have infused the Americans with badly needed planes and reinforcements. It gave the Americans time to deal with the Eagle Teams in Anchorage. No doubt, they will now race reinforcements to their shattered troops clinging to the highway.”
“The Canadians were a surprise. There was nothing we could do about them, sir. I also realize the Vice- Admiral acted precipitously, but you dare not relieve him of duty.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” Ling asked.
Commodore Yen sat down.
Ling turned away. He had read the reports. A huge traffic jam now ensnarled the lead brigades of the two separate commands. It would take days to sort it out. During those days, the Americans could reestablish another strong defensive line. It would give them that much more time to receive reinforcements and supplies from Fairbanks. At least that much had worked. The Eagle Teams, while they had lived, had demolished much of the Anchorage airport.
“Sir, what about these partisans destroying our supplies?” asked Yen. “They are starting to become a problem.”
“The Americans are lice,” muttered Ling, “gun-carrying lice. I never knew a land could possess so many civilian weapons. It will make our occupation that much harder.”
“Perhaps the White Tiger Commandoes could deal with these rear-area partisans.”
Ling’s breathing lessened. At last, the admiral nodded. “Yes, we must continue fighting. We must battle it out to the end because the Vice-Admiral threw his brigades after the Americans. If only the man could listen to orders.”
“The time for vengeance will come, sir.”
Ling slammed his fist on the table. “I don’t care about vengeance. I care about winning this war. We must win! We must win soon. Time runs against us.”
“We shall win, sir. You broke the Americans once. You shattered their defenses. You will do so again.”
Admiral Ling nodded. “Let us hope you are right.”
Anna Chen settled into her chair in White House Bunker Number Five. She wore her hair down, a conservative dress and make-up. She wore heels, but not too high. With her legs crossed, she listened to the others. Ever since she’d given the President the okay to use a nuclear-tipped torpedo on an Arctic supply dump, he had desired her opinion more often. Fortunately, the U.S. military had refrained from using more nuclear weapons.
“Sir,” said the Defense Secretary, “I’m against making this move now.”
“I have to agree with him, Mr. President,” the Secretary of State said.
President Clark nodded solemnly, with his hands folded on the table. “Ms. Chen, what do you think?”
“What do your admirals say, Mr. President?” Anna asked.
Clark glanced at General Alan.
“Half agree that the Chinese Carrier Fleet has taken heavy air losses during the campaign,” General Alan said. “The Canadians have aided us at a most critical moment. The two American carrier-wings could possibly slip in and catch the invasion fleet by surprise, doing severe damage. The other admirals point out that the two Atlantic carriers are almost to the Pacific. Together, our four carriers could well force the seven Chinese carriers away from Alaska. They suggest that would win us the war.”
“You know what the admirals think, sir,” Anna told the President. “What do your generals say about Anchorage?”
“They’ve never changed their tune,” the Defense Secretary said, interrupting. “The generals want the Navy to bail them out of a bad situation. The generals keep screaming they need more air cover to do anything. Thanks to the Canadians, Anchorage is still in American hands. Mr. President,” the Defense Secretary said with urgency. “We must hold in Anchorage with what we have before we throw away the carriers that could win us everything.”
“The Chinese naval infantry keep advancing, breaking through our defenses,” said Clark. “Soon, the Chinese will be in Anchorage’s suburbs. We have to stop them.”
“Soldiers always cry for more aid,” Colin Green said. “I suggest you wait out events until they turn in our favor, just as happened with the Canadian Prime Minister.”
“I don’t agree,” Anna said. Colin Green shot her a venomous glance. She ignored it.
“Do you see something the rest of us are missing?” Clark asked her.
“Sir,” the Defense Secretary said. “Ms. Chen knows her Chinese and possibly the Chairman’s mind, but I do not think she is an expert on military matters.”
“She’s brought us luck,” said Clark. “The Chinese ice-mobile formations haven’t attacked our North Slope. I think we’re winning there. We’ve frightened them by our resolve. Are you saying,” the President asked Anna, “that we can frighten the Chinese now by attacking their fleet?”
“The air war seems like the critical factor, Mr. President,” Anna said. She’d heard one of the air chiefs tell the President that over the speakerphone. “We need more fighters now so the Chinese can’t dominate the skies over the battlefield. Well, the Navy has more fighters. Send them into battle at this decisive moment, before the Chinese break into Anchorage or take the airport a second time. I’ve heard everyone say that once Anchorage falls, South Central Alaska falls. If South Central Alaska falls, the state falls. This could be the defining moment of the battle.”
“You don’t know that,” the Defense Secretary said.
“That the Chinese are closing in on Anchorage tells me that I do,” Anna said, surprised at her boldness.
“Yes!” Clark said, standing. He struck the table with his knuckles. “Anna Chen is our Chinese expert. She gave me excellent advice concerning the nuclear weapon under the polar ice.”
“If you’ll recall, Mr. President,” the Defense Secretary said, “I’ve always suggested we go nuclear.”
“Yes, you did say that,” Clark admitted, frowning now.
“If you’ve made your decision, sir,” General Alan said, “I’d like to call the Navy and tell them to proceed.”
Clark blinked at Anna Chen. Then the President told General Alan, “Give them the go-head.”
Captain Han was a wreck. The prolonged exposure to frontal assaults with remote-controlled Marauders—and the accompanying death-shocks—had caused a decline in the captain’s performance and mental health. His superiors had taken notice and sent him to a nexus psychiatrist.
