Of immediate concern was the need to put the marines ashore. A tricky business because it required him to blow enough water out of the Sea Dragon’s ballast tanks to raise the main deck above sea level. But not too far above sea level lest Ko make it difficult for the crew to launch the inflatable rafts the marines were going to use.
Would that make the ship more visible to radar? Yes, it would. But Ko planned to keep the process short by loading the rafts on the deck, taking water into the tanks, and floating them off. A process for which Jing was also responsible. He’s a bright lad, Ko thought. If it weren’t for him Enlai would be president. This will be the making of him.
***
Jing was acutely aware of the responsibilities that had been heaped upon him. Load the rafts. Make sure the marines landed in the right place. Establish and maintain communications with the Sea Dragon. And, destroy the island’s communications infrastructure. Not personally of course, but through Lieutenant Ma.
Nothing had been said. But it was obvious that Captain Hong, and therefore Captain Ko, were aware of his role in uncovering then President Enlai’s agent on the ship. And they were giving him an opportunity to distinguish himself.
Jing made sure that he was the first man to exit the hull via Conning Tower 2, and the first to arrive on the main deck, where a team of sailors was inflating the rafts. Air hissed from portable tanks, and the rafts began to take shape, as Ma barked orders.
It took less than a minute for the marines to board their assigned rafts and connect the inflatables together with pre-cut lines. That was Jing’s idea. And it stemmed from a deep-seated fear that, if left to their own devices, at least some of the marines would stray and land in different places.
Jing had assigned himself to the first raft, and assigned Ma to the last raft, to minimize the amount of harm the marine might do.
In spite of the late hour lights twinkled on Tonaki. And the lights, combined with the red beacon on the island’s radio tower, would keep Jing on course. The raft wobbled as the Sea Dragon sank into her semi-submerged state and seawater sloshed over the deck. Then the rafts were afloat and free to depart.
Every member of the landing party was wearing a wireless headset and night vision gear. Jing spoke softly. “Paddle in unison. Hold noise to a minimum. And maintain situational awareness. Over.”
Jing was amazed by how clear the green-hued imagery was. Water splashed as someone missed a stroke and a noncom told him to “Sushen.” (Shape up.)
Jing’s eyes were focused on the village of Tonaki. It took on more detail as rafts drew closer. Jing was looking for any signs of alarm. There were none. “Get ready,” Jing said. “My raft will land sideways. Do the same with yours. That will enable everyone to exit quickly. Assume a defensive posture and await orders. Over.”
Jing knew Ma was jealous, but didn’t care. More than that, and much to Jing’s surprise, he was enjoying himself. Would he feel the same way if American soldiers were waiting on the beach? No. But the sense of anticipation persisted.
Jing felt the raft make contact with the steeply shelving beach and heard the rattle of loose gravel. “Now! Swing sideways! Don’t forget to drop your anchors. We’ll need the rafts later.” Jing knew that the marines in the last raft would need extra time to reach the beach. That was factored into the plan.
Jing stepped out into cold seawater that immediately flooded his boots. He barely noticed. The tower was designated as “target one” because of all the cell phone antennas, splitters, couplers and attenuators that were attached to it. The mast was used for emergency radio communications as well.
Meanwhile Ma, with roughly 75 percent of the marines at his disposal, had orders to roust the locals out of their beds, confiscate their cell phones, and cut their land lines if any.
The moment those tasks were accomplished Ma was to herd the civilians to the school gymnasium and place them under guard. “Team 1 will follow me,” Jing said, as he drew his pistol. “Team 2 will split into fire teams and take control of the village. Don’t forget to neutralize public phones if you see any. Execute. Over.”
Ma barked only slightly subdued orders, noncoms led fireteams away, and it was time to report in. “This is Alpha-One. We are ashore and proceeding to our preset objectives. Over.”
“Understood. Over,” came the reply.
Navigation was easy. All Jing and his team of seven marines had to do was head for the red beacon. They jogged through twisting-turning streets to the point where the tower loomed above them. A small equipment building and the tower were protected by a locked gate and an eight-foot, wire mesh fence.
Bolt cutters were used to slice through the padlock. Hinges squealed as Jing pulled it open. A demolitions expert hurried forward to plant a prepared charge on the equipment shed’s door. There was a warning, followed by a flash, and a loud bang.
Would someone hear it? That didn’t matter because Ma and his marines were going door-to-door rounding up residents.
Now the demolitions tech was inside placing thermite charges on equipment racks, the emergency power supply, and a metal casing of unknown purpose. Then the tech left the shed.
Meanwhile a second engineer was up on the tower placing a charge next to the radio mast. As soon as that was accomplished, he hurried down. “It’s ready, sir.”
“Take cover and blow the charges,” Jing ordered.
A warning was given, the team took cover behind a wall, and the charges were detonated. There weren’t any explosions as each charge produced a fountain of sparks, followed by a tremendous amount of heat and a flow of white-hot molten metal.
That was when Jing heard gunfire. He yelled, “Follow me!” and ran toward the sound. Had the Americans
