Miraculously, due to faulty engineering, the nuclear warhead did not detonate, but the powerful blast killed two rangers and seventeen tourists who were on a nature-hike camping trip. It also destroyed the ranger station and started a fire that would take two days to extinguish.
Chapter 31
President Macklin placed the phone receiver down and propped his head in the palms of his hands. Everyone in the room was aware of the two kills and the two payload impacts. Even though the missiles weren't as accurate as the experts had thought they would be, and one of the warheads had not detonated, the threat was real. China had nukes that could easily reach Hawaii and Alaska. It was time for a decision.
The president raised his head. "When you consider the potential for disaster, we were damn lucky this time. I'm reconsidering our response."
He looked at Adair. "What's the smart thing to do?"
"Mr. President, if we don't respond forcefully to Beijing, they'll use us as a punching bag. We'll be their new test range. Worse yet, North Korea may decide to attack South Korea if we don't show our resolve."
"Hartwell, what's your thinking about our next move?"
Prost shrugged his shoulders. "If we don't do something to stun them into submission, we could soon have nuclear-tipped DF-5s raining down across the mainland."
"The DF-5 is an old, liquid-fueled missile," Adair said. "How reliable could it be?"
Hartwell was trying to be patient. "Accuracy is apparently not China's forte — range is. The East Wind has an approximate range of five thousand miles, but the DF-5 can travel more than seven thousand five hundred miles. How accurate do you have to be when you're terrorizing your opponent in his own backyard?"
"We have to try diplomacy first," Macklin said. "If we don't have any success, I'll warn them that Beijing will go next — if they launch another attack — then Shanghai, et cetera."
The president frowned. "Sometimes, as history sadly reminds us, you have to get people's attention the hard way."
Silence filled the room as everyone contemplated the enormous havoc and destruction the atomic bombs had caused at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945.
Prost turned to the president. "In the meantime, we had better get every Aegis-equipped ship we have along the West Coast, Alaska, and Hawaii."
Chalmers nodded in agreement. "And we had better have as many kill vehicles as we can muster standing by in Alaska and Kwajalein."
With Lieutenant General Wentworth minding the store, General Bancroft had managed to slip away for some food, a shower, and a nap. Both men were determined to remain at their posts until the crisis was over. They were privy to the White House plan to retaliate if China fired another intercontinental ballistic missile at the United States.
Feeling refreshed, the Canadian general returned to relieve his deputy commander. "Any news?"
"Not yet. You know, if this situation gets out of control, we could set off a global free-for-all that could kill hundreds of millions of people."
"Or worse," Bancroft added. "With nukes flying in every direction, the planet might not be habitable when it's over."
"We may have to flatten Beijing to get their attention," Wentworth said. "Trouble is, Russia might jump in and do something stupid — then we're all cooked."
"That's the risk… and it's real."
It was early morning, and President Macklin was so angry he could barely contain his rage. After all the hard work by the State Department and scores of people on both sides of the issue, China and the United States were again locked in a standoff.
Liu Fan-ding had unexpectedly issued an ultimatum to the president of the United States. The Panama Canal had to be returned to Panamanian control in the next three hours or China would launch more nuclear missiles at American cities.
"That sonuvabitch," Macklin said through clenched teeth. He turned to his secretary of state. "Brett, I want it made graphically clear to everyone in the Chinese loop — especially Liu. The canal will not be returned to Chinese control, and, if they launch nukes at us, they will rue the day."
"Yes, sir," Brett Shannon said, fatigued from lack of sleep.
Macklin's hand shook as he picked up his coffee cup. "We may take some damage, but their cities — their country — will be flattened like a pancake. Make damn sure they understand that."
"I will, Mr. President."
Macklin turned to General Chalmers. "Les, are you confident if we have to use our Triad?"
"Yes, sir, very much so."
The chairman of the joint chiefs looked directly into the eyes of his longtime friend. "This clash we had over the Taiwan Strait, and the situation that prevails right now, has caused North Korea to go back into their bunkers."
"Good. They better damn well stay there — or they'll be next."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff had gathered and more people were pouring into the building. The official word was quickly spreading. The news of the Chinese president's demands — some called it a case of blackmail — had been leaked to the mainstream media, and the big-name news anchors were rushing to their studios.
At the White House, President Macklin was preparing to leave on Marine One to travel to Andrews Air Force Base and board the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center.
The State Department had sent North Korea a stern warning not to become involved in the situation or they would suffer dire consequences.
NORAD was briefed for the worst, and America's nuclear deterrent Triad, including land-, sea-, and air-based systems, was primed. The most powerful strike force on the earth awaited the president's order.
Scott carefully adjusted the power to climb over some mountains that rose to more than eight thousand feet. "Jackie, you may want to try Hartwell again."
"For sure — we're getting closer to the coast." She tried and still could not maintain a signal. "I'm going to try the one in back."
"Yeah, we have to get something going."
She stepped into the cabin, picked up the Honeywell multichannel satcom terminal, and placed a phone call to Prost at his office. Hartwell was greatly relieved to hear from Jackie, and he was very excited about the hard drives. He didn't have any comment about the tragic fate of Dr. Richard Cheung.
Hartwell then gave her a quick overview of the situation with China. Three minutes into the lively conversation, Jackie put the satellite phone down and went to the cockpit to check their position on the GPS. "I caught him just before he was headed to Andrews."
"Good."
She wrote the coordinates on a piece of paper and went back to the phone. Jackie quickly copied the information and gave Hartwell their aircraft satcom identity.
Passing south of Shangtang, Scott began a gradual climb to weave through the mountains in the distance.
When Jackie returned to the cockpit, she sat down and looked at the rising terrain. "The clash with the Chinese has taken on a new twist."
"What now?"
She filled him in on the ICBMs.
"That's crazy."
"I agree, and things aren't looking very promising." She closed her eyes and leaned her head back. "But it looks like we have an option — if we have enough fuel to get there."
"Well, out with it."
Jackie opened her eyes. "He's extremely happy that we're alive and that we have the hard drives — he couldn't believe it."
"What did he say about Dr. Cheung?"
"Nothing — not a word."