Behemoth tanks in California.”
“Sir?” Alan asked.
“This could be what we’ve been dreading for several years now,” Sims said. “We have to pull out all the stops to face what I think is the coming storm. I don’t care if these Behemoths have teething problems. I want them in California with the reserve troops. That’s what I did in Alaska. I used everything I had to buy us time until reinforcements arrived. We’ll have to scrape together our own reinforcements. Mainly, we’re going to have to fight hard with what we have and exploit every Chinese mistake.”
“And if they don’t make mistakes?” General Alan asked.
“Everyone makes mistakes,” Sims said. “We’re all human, and I’ve never met a perfect one of us yet. Nor do I think I’m going to any time soon.”
“Yes, sir,” General Alan said. “And if this Blue Swan situation is an entire bluff?”
“Then we’ll fall down on our knees and thank God,” Sims said. “Then we’ll concentrate against the Chinese in Texas and the Germans in Florida, if the Huns are arrogant enough to attack us. Are there any questions?”
“I have one,” Air Force General O’Connor said.
The President tapped a computer stylus twice on the table before pointing the tip at the general.
“We keep talking about absorbing the EMP missiles,” O’Connor said. “I think there’s another answer. We need to move or mass our anti-missile lasers and rockets there. The Blue Swan missiles can’t hurt us if we knock them down before they broadcast their electromagnetic pulses.”
“General Alan?” the President asked.
“In theory it’s the right move.”
“But in practice?” the President asked.
“Massing anti-missile units in SoCal means we open them to the same EMP that will melt all the other electronics. The same holds true for our air cover.”
“We can’t just let them hit us!” O’Connor shouted. “That means we’re abandoning our boys on the line. My planes and fighter drones can save the situation.”
“We’re not going to abandon anyone,” the President said.
“We’re saying that, sir, but—”
The President slammed a fist onto the table. The chamber became deathly silent.
“Are you accusing me of double-talk?” the President asked the Air Force General.
“No, sir,” O’Connor said crisply.
“Good, because I’m not going to abandon anyone,” Sims said. “We’ll bring more lasers and anti-missile systems to the SoCal Fortifications. We’ll bring more fighters, too. But we’re not going to denude ourselves of cover elsewhere.”
“How much extra cover are we talking about?” General Alan asked. “It isn’t as if we have enough tactical lasers or flak guns. Which front do we take them from?”
“I have an idea,” Anna heard herself saying.
Director Levin stared at her and he shook his head minutely.
“Concerning military strategy?” General Alan asked in a scornful manner.
“Mr. President?” Anna asked.
“Go ahead,” Sims said.
Anna’s stomach tightened. It was a risk to talk, as others could pin her idea’s failure on her. It was a chancy thing she was about to suggest.
“Well,” the President asked, “what’s your idea?”
“Sir, General O’Connor has spoken my thought: why wait for the Chinese to strike with Blue Swan? He advocates knocking down the missiles, and that’s better than letting them strike. But my question is why let them launch at all.”
General Alan laughed. “Are you advocating that we
“In a manner of speaking, yes,” Anna said.
“Ah,” General Alan said. “And just how will you conjure up this army? I’m very curious. If our analysis is correct, the Chinese have thirty-five thousand artillery and mortar tubes massed on the SoCal border, while we have a paltry eleven thousand. They have a clear three to one advantage over us in artillery, tanks and I imagine planes and probably a two to one advantage in numbers.”
“I’m not a military expert,” Anna said.
“No, no, tell us your plan,” General Alan said. “Anna Chen, the Chinese expert, can predict the future and instruct us in the military arts. By all means, enlighten us, please.”
President Sims frowned at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
Anna looked down and she could feel her face heating up. She should have kept her mouth shut. What had she been thinking?
“You have to tell us now,” Levin whispered. “You can’t let the general bully you.”
Anna swallowed, looking up. “Sir,” she told the President. “It seems to me that America cannot allow the launching of Blue Swan. We don’t have the numbers to launch a conventional attack—”
“Nuclear weapons?” the Army General asked. He scowled, but he nodded. “I concur, sir. We
“No!” Anna said, horrified. “I’m not talking about nuclear weapons.”
“What then?” the President asked.
“Commando teams,” she said.
General Alan frowned severely, shaking his head. “How do we know where these missiles are? And how do you propose getting our special forces teams down on the ground with the missiles?”
“The spy in Mexico City might be able to help us pinpoint the missiles’ locations,” Anna said. “As for getting our commandos in, I don’t have the answer to that. I just know that we have to do whatever we can to stop the Blue Swan missiles from hitting the SoCal Fortifications.”
President Sims sat as if shocked. His nostrils widened and he began to nod. “I hate to order anyone so deep into the midst of the enemy. Those missiles are sure to be heavily guarded. Yet, I don’t see any other way.”
“It would be suicide to send commandos at those missiles now,” General Alan said.
“We can only ask for volunteers,” Sims said.
“Sir…” General Alan said.
Sims stared at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. His eyes had become red-rimmed. “I don’t know what else you would have me do. It’s a gamble, a terrible risk, but with several hundred men only, maybe two or three thousand commandos all together.”
“How do you sneak them in, sir?” Alan asked.
“A mass aerial assault,” O’Connor said grimly. “We saturate the Chinese with drones, all we have. Behind them, we use helos to insert the commandos. Once on the ground, they should know what to do.”
“It’s mass suicide,” Alan said.
“It’s better than letting an entire Army Group die on the fortifications,” Sims said.
“Our drone losses would be staggering,” Alan said. “That would likely give the Chinese control of the air for the duration. We’ve known the air situation will be critical. To then knowingly burn up our air assets on the first day of battle…it is madness, sir.”
“Our backs are to the wall,” Sims said. “Yes, it’s suicide to send those men, but if this works we’ll actually have a chance at holding California. Ms. Chen, it’s a brilliant plan.”
“Maybe,” General Alan said. He stared at Anna as if remembering her face for a future showdown.
“‘Maybe’ is better than certain defeat,” the President said. “How much time do we have until the Chinese launch?” he asked Levin.
“I don’t know,” the CIA Director said.
“Give me a ball park estimate.”
“A day,” Levin said, cautiously, “several days, less than a week, I’m certain.”
Sims ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “In two days we must strike. It’s madness, but so is Blue Swan.” He took a deep breath. “We have a plan now, a slim hope to save the situation. Let’s get to work.”
Early the next morning, Stan Higgins walked solemnly around his X1 Behemoth #5 for what would likely be
