faction on the Standing Committee, while the rest were ignorant.
Wu hesitated, unsure of what the unexpected request signified, then smiled and sat. “You have another matter to discuss, Mr. President?”
“The matter of a Chinese submarine taking up a position perilously close to the frigate Crowe. A warship threatening the warship of another nation on the high seas? I believe that’d be considered an ” by any standards of international law.”
“A simple precaution. Balancing the power, you might say. All vessels have a right to be where they are. Under the circumstances, my government considered it had no choice. After all”—the faint smile appeared again— “we’re merely shadowing the shadower. A routine matter.”
“Now, of course, because of all this, you’ve revealed one of your secrets–
China has subs monitoring our Fifth Fleet. The Indian Ocean is the only place it could have come from so quickly.” A flat statement.
Wu’s careful eyes flickered. Perhaps it was annoyance that his overall negotiating position had been undercut by someone in Beijing. Still, he said nothing.
“We, of course, had always considered such surveillance a possibility, but now we have concrete confirmation. But be that as it may”—the president waved his hand—“I’m going to do something unusual. Something, I might say, not all my advisers agree with. I’m going to tell you why the Crowe is there. A few days ago, we received incontrovertible information that the Empress is carrying substantial quantities of thiodiglycol and thionyl chloride. I doubt I need to tell you what those chemicals can be used for.”
The president waited.
When the ambassador’s expression did not change and he made no comment, the president continued, “The quantities are substantial. In fact, so substantial that they could have no other purpose but weapons manufacture.”
Wu stiffened. “Another Yinhe? Really, sir, wasn’t once?”
The president shook his head. “That time, you knew for certain we were wrong. That allowed you to stonewall to the end and make us look like louts. It was a win-win situation for you. If we didn’t board, you appeared to have made us back down, scoring major points. If we did board, we’d be seen as reckless and arrogant. Since we boarded, you scored a coup on the international stage.”
Wu appeared stunned. “I’m shocked, Mr. President. We were simply supporting international law, then and now.” “Bullshit,” the president said pleasantly. “However, I’ve told you this for a reason — this time we believe Zhongnanhai doesn’t know what the Empress is really carrying and never has known. We think Zhongnanhai is totally uninvolved in the venture and was surprised by the appearance of the Crowe. Which means that when we do board, whatever else happens, your nation is going to look very bad at a time when trade with the rest of the world is one of your long-term, paramount goals.”
For a time, Wu Bangtiao sat silently, his steady gaze fixed on the president, obviously assembling his thoughts. When the words came, once more what they did not say carried the real meaning: “We could not permit such a gross violation as boarding a Chinese flag vessel in the open sea.”
No protest, no denial, no hedging, no bluster.
The president heard the unsaid. “Neither the United States, nor the world — including China — can risk chemical weapons of mass destruction in the hands of irresponsible regimes.”
Wu nodded. “Then, sir, we have an impasse. What do you suggest?”
“Perhaps concrete proof could break the impasse. The actual manifest.”
“Proof would be impossible, since no such cargo could come from China.
However, could such proof exist, my government would, in the interest of international law, have to consider it.”
“If it exists.”
“Which it cannot.” The president smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Ambassador. That, I think, concludes our meeting.”
Ambassador Wu stood, inclined his head again, and walked from the Oval Office.
The president watched him go. Then he pressed his intercom button. “Mrs. Pike? Ask the chief of my secret service detail to come to the Oval Office.”
President Castilla sat in the shaded Covert-One office of Fred Klein.
“Your AWACS and Jon Smith were spotted outside Dazu. The local authorities are looking for him. At least that was what Ambassador Wu said.”
“Damn,” Klein swore. “I’d hoped that wouldn’t happen. Colonel Smith’s got a tough enough job as it is.”
“Why didn’t you use a B-2? The stealth properties would’ve been useful.”
“No time to get one from Whiteman. We had to go with what the navy had available. I’d have used a higher flying fighter, but we didn’t want to risk an ejection seat being found. How much did they spot?”
“All the ambassador said was the plane had been detected and a parachutist might have been seen coming down.”
“Good. That probably means they’re not even sure about the chute, and they haven’t come close to pinpointing his landing or found his equipment. With any luck, he’s on schedule.”
“With the help you had waiting that I don’t want to know about?”
“That’s the plan, and let’s say the Chinese wouldn’t like our ” any more than they would an all-American operation.”
The president related the rest of his meeting with Ambassador Wu. “We were right. Beijing knew nothing about the Empress until the Crowe showed up, which clued them in that something was wrong. I think when I named the chemicals, Wu was shocked. He’ll report to Zhongnanhai. How close are we to having that manifest?”
“I haven’t heard from Smith, but I didn’t expect to yet. Any word about the new leaker?”
“No, dammit. We’re looking. I’ve cut back every piece of information to only those who must know.”
From where they waited deep inside the small grove of trees, Jon could hear an occasional car or truck roar past on the distant toll expressway. A mile or more away in three directions, a few farmhouses still showed light. The tense breathing of the Uighers was a nervous rhythm in his ears, along with the slow beat of his own heart. A Uigher grunted as he shifted position. Jon moved, too, loosening his joints.
But from the prison camp itself, there was nothing. No sound, no movement.
Asgar peered at his watch. “Our two chaps should’ve been here by now.
Something’s not right.”
“You’re sure they were ready to leave?”
“Should’ve been. We’d better go in and take a check.”
“That sounds like trouble.”
“Should we abort?”
Jon mulled. He wanted to get David Thayer out of prison, but he was concerned about bringing hordes of police and military down on the area and frightening Li Kuonyi away from the meeting. Still, Asgar, Chiavelli, and he — working together — increased the chances of success.
Three armed professionals. Otherwise, it was just Chiavelli and Thayer, and Thayer had probably not fired a gun in a half century, if even then.
One way or another, the pair would attempt to escape tonight. If they got out but alerted prison authorities in the process, they would bring armed troops to the area.
The safest outcome was to help Thayer escape undetected.
Jon said, “Let’s find them.”
Asgar circulated among his people, telling them in a quiet voice what was happening and what he planned. He tapped three to accompany him and Jon, and the five slipped out of the woods. Bent and silent, they trotted across a newly planted field, where Jon’s bruised body ached from running on such soft soil, then through a shadowy orchard of ripening apple trees, where the firmer soil helped him recover.
With a signal from Asgar, they came to an abrupt halt and went to ground. Before them, to the left and right, extended an open space that had been cleared around the perimeter of the prison’s chain-link fence.
