“We have to,” Dowling said.
Travee turned to the young W.O. “Who relieves you?”
“Myers, sir.”
“You know him well?”
“I don’t know him at all, sir. Sir? This is America. This can’t be happening here!”
“Well, it is happening, and not just here. Why don’t you know this Myers?”
“He was just assigned this duty.” The W.O. paused. “And that’s odd, too, sir. All the guys who normally handle this job have been replaced over the past few months. I’m the only one of the original bunch left. Their orders came in so fast, and there just wasn’t any reason for them.”
Travee handed him his briefcase full of war codes. “Sit down, son—out of the way. If anybody other than the men in this room attempt to take that briefcase… shoot them. You’re armed. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
The chief of White House Secret Service walked in. He stood in shock for a few seconds. “What in the
Travee told him, bluntly and quickly. “Get all your older men in here. I don’t give a damn where they are or what they’re doing. Just get them.”
“I don’t take orders from you,” he was informed by the secret service man.
Travee lifted his .45, cocked it, and pointed it at the man’s head. “You have five seconds to obey my orders.”
“Yes, sir,” the secret service man said, walking stiffly to the phone.
Travee looked at Benning. “Where is Mrs. Fayers?”
“In California, sir. Speaking engagement.”
“All right. Get the White House doctor in here.” He used another line to call the Pentagon. “This is General Travee. The code word is Blue Tango. I’m going to say this only once, so you’d better listen. I want these orders sent out immediately, top priority, scrambled. They are as follows: every military base in this country is to be shut down tight. Tight! Every leave is hereby canceled. Get those personnel back to base. You understand me?”
“Blue Tango, sir?” The rustle of paper. “Blue Tango! That’s… hell, that’s insurrection within our borders, sir.”
“I am fully aware of that, Colonel. Just do it.”
“I can’t, sir. I need more code designation.”
“Red Fox!”
“That has to come from the president, sir.”
“Goddamn it, I know that. The president is… incapacitated.”
“The VP, then, sir.”
“The VP is out of the country. Do what I tell you to do!”
“Sir,” the colonel protested, “I’m only following orders—the chain of command.”
“Goddamn you, Colonel—I am giving you a direct order!”
The phone buzzed in Travee’s ear. He looked around in astonishment.
“That son of a bitch hung up on me,” Travee said.
FIVE
“I cannot believe the Americans are doing this,” the Russian ambassador said. “Unless… unless those rumors within our country have some validity to them. Yes. That must be it.” The Russian agent sat before him in the embassy.
“I have seen the Thunder-strike with my own eyes. By now it is on its way to mainland China. To join the several hundred others they have.”
“Aimed at Russia,” the ambassador said. “Things were going so well—we thought.” His hands were shaking.
His secretary buzzed him. “Sir, President Fayers has just been rushed to Bethesda Hospital. He’s had a massive stroke. Not expected to live. The vice president cannot be located. His plane and everyone on board have vanished somewhere in the Mideast. There are fears that Fayers’ wife has been kidnapped.”
“Thank you. Keep me informed. Send a message of regret and sympathy to the White House.” He told the agent what had just been relayed to him. He lit a cigarette with trembling hands. “Too much is happening too quickly for it to be mere coincidence. I think the world is about to explode in our faces. We have much to do, Fyodor. So let’s get busy doing it.”
Premier Su listened to the colonel from Chinese Intelligence. His face remained impassive as the colonel talked… and talked. Finally, Su interrupted.
“You have seen these missiles?”
“With my own eyes, Premier.”
Su sighed. “With who else’s eyes—a goat? We have nothing in our arsenal that would stop them?”
“No, Premier. Nothing.”
“The Russians were going to assassinate me at Fuchin?”
“And your wife.”
“Barbarians! What of the Americans?”
“Our intelligence reports they have nothing to do with it. The Thunder-strike is theirs, true, but the plans were stolen from them—by the Russians. Of course, neither side could mention any of this at the SALT talks.”
“Naturally. Some deviousness was to be expected. From both sides of the table.”
“The fox does not tell the hound of its exit,” the colonel said.
Premier Su sighed heavily. “Colonel, please spare me your pearls from the Orient. I was never an admirer of Charlie Chan.”
“Yes, sir. There is also something going on within America’s borders, sir.”
“I know, I know. President Fayers is quite ill. I have sent wishes for an early recovery.”
“More, sir. The vice president is missing, as is the president’s wife. Military chain of command is… well… confused.”
“Confused? What kind of briefing word is that—confused?”
“I’m sorry, Premier. All outgoing traffic has gone to a new type of scramble system. We haven’t, as yet, broken it.”
“Keep trying.” Su smiled. “Perseverance keeps honor bright.”
The young colonel’s face brightened. “Confucius, sir?”
“No, Shakespeare.”
Premier Su covered his mouth with his hand to hide his slight smile at the colonel’s crestfallen expression. “Oh,” the colonel said.
Su said, “You and your people are certain the Russians will attack us—beyond any doubt?”
“Yes, Premier. We have broken several of their coded messages from the base at Zapovednyy. This one confirmed it.”
Su looked at him, sighed, said, “I’m waiting, Colonel.”
“Sir?”
“Read the message!”
“Yes, sir. ‘Operation Dragon-Die into effect at 2359 Monday. Wipe the yellow horde from the face of the earth.’”
“Dragon-Die.” Su shook his head in disgust. “How quaint. How like the Russians. Yellow horde. Barbarians! Four days,” he said softly.
“To hell,” the colonel added. “If there is one, I mean.”
General Sun, commander of the Chinese Army, spoke for the first time during the meeting. “When do we strike, sir?”
