"China is the problem, of course," Yuri continued. "She always has been, always will be. At least in this portion of the world. And not just for Vietnam ― for Ukraine as well."
"And Russia?" I asked.
A slow, thoughtful smile spread across his face. "Ah, Russia. An entirely different matter, of course. We are bound together with Russia's future, for better or for worse. Ukraine and Russia are so similar, share so many parts of history, that I doubt that either of us will ever be what you would call a truly independent nation. But for better or for worse, there we are. It is something that Americans do not understand, the imperatives of geography."
"What about China?" I pressed.
"China views Vietnam as her own special protectorate. You may not agree, but it is simply a fact. At least from the Chinese perspective. And you must understand one other thing as well ― China is very, very protective of her own soil. These two facts inevitably lead to one conclusion that any dangerous activities should be conducted in one of her protectorates, not within China's own borders."
"Such as?"
"Such as producing nuclear weapons." Yuri finished that statement and took another bite of stew, giving me time to absorb it.
A Chinese nuclear weapons plan on Vietnam soil. I kept my face expressionless and considered the possibility. It was possible, all too possible.
Since I'd been transferred from South Com and was awaiting a billet at one of the Fleet Commander headquarters, I'd been slightly out of the intelligence loop. It was entirely possible that the U.S. knew about this ― and I didn't. Still, it seemed I would have heard at least some rumors about it, perhaps the barest warnings and hints in intelligence summaries. Yet there had been no word, nothing that I'd seen.
Batman? Did CVIC know about this? I hoped so, because it would surely influence whatever plans he was developing now to cope with this latest crisis. And hell, I didn't even know what the crisis was. All I knew was I saw Tomcats dropping bombs in country.
"What kind of weapons?" I asked finally. "Strategic?"
Kursk shook his head. "When you say strategic, I am assuming that you are referring to long-range missiles," he said. "it makes a difference for America ― but not so much for us. Most areas in Ukraine and Russia are reachable with a shorter-range tactical missile, particularly if such weapons are transported to the Chinese-Russian border. You see, even when we use terms like strategic and tactical, they have entirely different implications for each of our countries."
"So the shorter-range missiles then?" I asked. "Is that what they're making?"
"That's what our sources indicate," Yuri replied. "Ranges of approximately a thousand miles, maybe fifteen hundred. A little bit more, a little bit less ― we're not entirely sure. But we do know that they're making them. And not just for China's use ― we anticipate that these weapons will find their way onto the black market soon enough."
"But why?" I said, shoving the bowl away from me. Faced with the prospect of escalating nuclear conflict, I found the stew no longer appealing. "For hard currency?"
"That and more. As I said, China is a major force in this area. However, she is also paranoid about her border to a degree Westerners would find it difficult to imagine. Remember, the Chinese take a rather broader view of what is Chinese territory than we do. Every time some ancient Chinese prince or princess married a member of a foreign royal house, China claimed that land as theirs. They track these things oh, so carefully. And while you and I may acknowledge that their claims are ridiculous, the Chinese believe fervently in them. Thus, in their minds, their own soil has been invaded and taken from them repeatedly. Vietnam, the Philippines, the Spratly Islands, and more. The Chinese all truly believe that those are Chinese possessions, and they are ready to defend their rights."
He laughed harshly, an expression of bitterness on his face. "Who knows what they would be like today had they had our experiences. One out of ten Ukrainians were killed during World War II, at least. Even today, the echoes of that invasion influence almost everything we do politically. To us, China might seem like a mere spoiled child, arguing about possessions that were never really hers. But she is a very large, very powerful spoiled child, and one that does not listen to reason."
"So why me? Why my father?" I asked.
Yuri leaned back in his chair and sighed. "This problem must be dealt with. And dealt with immediately. Already the first shipments are being readied for export. Whether they will be deployed on China's border and aimed at Russia and Ukraine, or sold to nations in the Middle East, I do not know. But it would seem to be in both of our interests to keep them from going anywhere."
"Your interest in world stability is very laudable," I answered, an ugly suspicion finally dawning. "But why is Ukraine involved? Why not Russia?"
"Be assured that we consult our cousins often on this matter," Yuri said. "However, as we work our way to a good relationship with our northern neighbor, there are certain trade-offs that must be made. Russia seems to feel that much of this problem is our responsibility ― and that we should solve it. They are a proud people, you know, proud to the point of blindness and arrogance. They would not approach you for help ― not in this way. We see it as an opportunity to build closer ties with the United States as well as strengthen our own position with Russia by apparently acceding to their request."
"But why is Ukraine responsible?" I asked, suspecting that I already knew the answer.
"You know why." Yuri's eyes were hard and cold. "Must you make me say it?"
I nodded slowly. "You dragged me halfway around the world to participate in this charade. I think you owe me that much."
"Very well. It seems very probable that the nuclear material contained in those weapons came from Ukraine. You know what the conditions were like immediately following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The furor over who was to control nuclear weapons, the seizing of the Crimean Peninsula, and the division of the Black Heet ― all was in disarray. Unfortunately, security of the nuclear weapons located on our soil was compromised. We hold the Russians responsible for this, and they us. As I said, matters are not so clear-cut as our cousins would like."
"So somehow, China obtained weapons-grade nuclear material from Ukraine, and is ferrying that into Vietnam into this production facility. And you want our help in putting a stop to it."
"Exactly."
"Why not do it yourselves?"
Yuri sighed. "As much as I would like to say otherwise, we simply do not have the military force at this time, Our economy is still in shambles, and many of our officers have not even been paid for several months. We have the basis to rebuild a strong, potent military, but it will take time. And time is what we do not have. The only solution, since China's growing strength is something that concerns us both, is to bring the Americans in. Quietly, through roundabout channels, through one or two trusted agents."
"Then why did the Vietnamese attack us?" I asked. So far everything he was saying made sense except that.
"Are you so certain that they are Vietnamese?" he asked, watching me closely.
"They were MiGs, of course they ― they were your MiGs?"
Yuri nodded. "Most of them, repainted to resemble those that belong to Vietnam. We have our friends here as well. Senior men who understand the danger that China poses now. And who are willing to work with us to stop it. The government, of course, knows nothing about this. Or if they do, they refuse to admit it." Yuri sighed, a deep sound breaking loose from somewhere inside him. "So you see the dilemma? This action must be carried out outside normal political channels, with all the conflicting loyalties and problems carefully balanced. And it must be done quickly ― another reason to avoid normal political protocol."