With the clearance granted, Scott lined up on the centerline of the runway and advanced the throttles. At 1:02 P. M. local time, the Learjet lifted off for the flight to Chengdu, the hustling-bustling provincial capital of Sichuan. A nightlife city energized by tens of thousands of foreign and Chinese tourists, Chengdu is world famous for its cuisines featuring unique blends of peppers and spices.
Located in the fertile Ch'eng-tu Plain, the busy city of millions has always been an important communication center. Noted for its historical remains and cultural activities, Chengdu is adjacent to the Yangtze River (Changjiang) and its tributaries, the Min Chiang and T'o Chiang, which extend throughout the Sichuan Basin and beyond.
The Chengdu Shuangliu Airport is a colossal, well-manicured garden. It remains green year round, with thousands, of trees and sweet-scented flowers adding color to the beautiful scenery.
Considering the change in the time zone between Hong Kong and Chengdu, Scott expected to arrive at the Shuangliu Airport at 1:58 P. M. The only problems they had encountered so far were a couple of controllers who didn't understand English very well.
As they began their approach to the Shuangliu Airport, the weather rapidly began to deteriorate. They descended into dark clouds and steady rain. Scott flew a smooth instrument approach to an uneventful landing. During the rollout, he saw three jet fighters parked at the far end of the terminal ramp. The warplanes seemed incongruous with the lush grounds and the beautiful flowers.
"What are MiG-21s doing here?" he asked.
She innocently smiled. "Actually, they happen to be Jian Ji F-7s."
Scott gave her a blank look. "I've never heard of them."
"The Chengdu Aircraft Industrial Corporation — that's a mouthful — is licensed to build them."
"Okay, I'll bite." He turned onto the taxiway and shut down one engine. "How did you know that little tidbit of trivia?"
She contacted ground control. "When I was checking the weather and the airport particulars, out flowed all this chamberof-commerce info."
He chuckled. "Well, as far as I'm concerned, I would be much happier if we weren't flying from an airfield with jet fighters sitting on it."
They parked close to the bright orange-and-white Agusta and shut down the other engine.
Scott grabbed two dark-green raincoats out of their equipment bag and handed one to Jackie. They slipped into them and stepped out of the Learjet to greet the line service representatives. A large black car entered the ramp area and stopped near the helicopter.
Dalton ordered fuel for the plane and then followed Jackie to the Russian-made Volga. The shiny, chauffeur-driven car contained the two Medical Flight Service executives and their interpreter, a young Chinese woman with short hair and humorless eyes.
When the trio stepped out of the car and opened their umbrellas, Jackie and Scott detected an obvious aloofness in their demeanor. The Chinese businessmen, both of whom were short and trim, stopped about five feet from the Americans and kept their hands in their pockets. Scott elected not to extend his hand and place everyone in an awkward situation.
"We are pleased to meet you," Scott said. "I'm Barton Rutherford, senior vice president of international sales, and this is Lauren Isaacs, our chief pilot."
The two men merely nodded and spoke to their interpreter. "Is it safe to fly today?" the woman with the dull eyes asked. "I'll have to defer to our demonstration pilot, one of the very best," Scott said, and glanced at Jackie.
"Yes, it's safe," she replied with a courteous smile. This should be interesting "We have about a four-hundred-foot ceiling, so we can stay under the clouds."
The men conferred with their interpreter. She spoke slowly and deliberately to Scott and Jackie. "Their time is extremely limited. Fifteen minutes is all they can spare."
"That's fine," Jackie said. We'll keep it to ten minutes.
Holding an umbrella over the interpreter's head, Scott helped everyone board the Agusta while Jackie gave the helicopter a thorough check before climbing aboard. The Chinese executives sat in the two seats designed for the medical technicians; Scott and the interpreter occupied the temporary seats adjacent to the two litters.
The flight was a short, uncomfortable affair characterized by a total lack of enthusiasm on the part of the prospective buyers. The Chinese didn't ask any questions and they didn't respond to Scott's sales pitch or to Jackie's friendly inputs.
After Jackie landed the Agusta, the reticent executives opened their umbrellas and went straight to their Volga, while their interpreter turned to Scott.
"They will be in touch," she said to him, and turned to Jackie. "Thank you for your consideration and patience."
"You're very welcome."
The interpreter walked to the car and got in. Jackie and Scott stood in the rain, smiling and waving. They talked without moving their mouths.
"That went exceedingly well," she said.
"Oh, yeah." Scott watched the Volga drive off. "We're attempting to sell these people a helicopter while both countries are in each other's face — great timing for us."
"It does seem crazy."
"Yeah, I'm amazed that we haven't been taken into custody."
"Don't even think it," Jackie said. "We played our roles and now it's over — move on to our other 'project.'"
"I'm just glad we're not real salespeople — we'd starve to death."
"For sure." She looked at the hotel. "Let's get checked in and get an update from Hartwell."
"Ah, first we have to top off the jet and the helicopter and take care of the fuel bill."
"You do the fuel thing," she said with a smile. "I'll check us in to the hotel and contact Hartwell."
"Deal."
"See you in a few minutes." She headed toward the Learjet to get their bags and put on the engine covers.
During the short walk to the hotel, Jackie was surprised by the throngs of bicycle riders and their wildly colored rain gear. The steady stream of bright colors was offset by the stone faces and unfriendly looks.
"This isn't good." Jackie pulled the hood of her raincoat over her wet hair and cast her eyes down at the sidewalk. What a time for a covert operation in China.
By midafternoon the tension was manifest on both sides of the strait. This was not going to be a sneak attack in the middle of the night. From all indications, the Chinese were going to mount an old-fashioned frontal assault on Taiwan — a heads-down, chargethe-line melee.
Taiwanese F-16s, Mirage 2000s, and F-5s patrolled the strait while U.S. Navy and Marine Corps carrier-based fighter planes provided backup. The F-14s and F/A-18s also supported the E-2C Hawkeye, and the S-3B Viking and SH-60 submarine hunter/killers. If needed, the air wing aboard the supercarrier Stennis was prepared and ready for combat.
F-15 and F-16 fighters watched over four U.S. Air Force intelligence-gathering and information-warfare aircraft. The daring flight crews were making it very difficult, if not impossible, for Chinese leaders to communicate with their military commanders in the field and those who were at sea.
Joining the two U.S. carrier battle groups, the attack submarines SSN Louisville and SSN Helena would provide additional firepower while they tracked two extremely lethal Chinese destroyers. The Russian-made warships carried supersonic, nuclear-tipped antiship cruise missiles.
United States Air Force E-3 AWACS, KC-10s, KC-135s, B-52s, B-lBs, and B-2s were in the air or standing by at various airbases, including Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; and Kadena Air Base, Japan (Okinawa). Closer to the narrow strait, F-15s, F-16s, and F-117s were ready to augment the carrier-based assets.