‘Bullshit. I know when you’re lying, Sarah. Something big is going down and I know you’re involved,’ Matt’s voice was harder than Sarah had ever heard it.
‘Matt, please. Just leave it alone. I have to go, I’m at work.’ With that, Sarah hung up, cursing to herself. Matt was on to her and she knew he wouldn’t stop until he found out what was going on. He knew what she was capable of after the coup went ahead. He wouldn’t underestimate her.
Later that day at the office, Matt called again. Sarah saw his name on MiLA’s screen. She wanted badly to avoid him, but not answering would only make him more suspicious.
‘Hey, what’s up?’ Sarah answered as casually as she could.
‘I don’t know — you tell me Sarah,’ Matt spat. ‘I want some answers — or I go to the press.’
‘Matt, please,’ Sarah tried her best to sound like she thought he was being silly. ‘Let’s talk about it tonight, at mine.’
‘Fine. Nine o’clock at yours — and make sure you’re there.’
‘I’ll be there. See you tonight.’
‘Okay, see you then.’
Sarah wondered how she could have been so stupid to have mentioned it to Matt. It would have been so much simpler had she just kept her mouth shut.
Staring at her screen, Sarah thought about what they were about to do — and the possibility of it all going wrong.
A knock at the door startled her. Fletcher peered around the door.
‘Hey, Marty wants to see us.’
‘Okay, yes,’ said Sarah looking up, her face flushed.
‘You all right?’ asked Fletcher, concerned.
‘I’m fine, just haven’t slept much lately,’ Sarah replied, standing up and walking briskly around her desk.
‘Know the feeling. Hang in there,’ Fletcher said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, ‘not long to go now.’
‘Yeah, I think that’s what I’m worried about.’
Fletcher just gave her a half-smile and turned to walk down the hall with her.
Sarah stopped suddenly and said in a whisper, ‘Are you convinced we’re doing the right thing?’ She looked at Fletcher with pleading eyes.
‘I am,’ he replied reassuringly. ‘We don’t have another option. It’s definitely a gamble but it’s worth the risk.’
A young aide walked past them. They both smiled innocently until he’d passed.
‘I just,’ Sarah said softly, suddenly struggling with tears, ‘I pray no civilians get hurt.’
‘You need to steel yourself for the possibility that there may be fatalities,’ Fletcher replied in a no-nonsense tone, continuing down the hall, ‘but it is for the greater good. And remember, we’re doing everything we can to remove people from harm’s way. The army is being extremely thorough with the evacuation.’
‘I know,’ said Sarah, following after him, ‘and telling people that the Chinese are planning reprisal attacks seems to be working as a motivation to clear out of the region.’
Stopping outside General Stephens’ office, Fletcher again put his hand on Sarah’s shoulder. ‘We’re doing the right thing, Sarah. Hang in there.’
‘Thanks, Fletch,’ she said as she knocked firmly on the door.
‘Come in, come in.’ General Stephens beckoned them to sit down.
Fletcher and Sarah sat opposite the general at his desk in their usual spots.
Stephens looked grave. ‘President Allen has agreed to help. He was somewhat excited about it. Not at all surprising, really. So, in less than a week, the plan will be executed.’
Fletcher and Sarah nodded slowly. ‘What’s the date, General?’ asked Sarah.
Stephens leaned back in his chair. ‘On 3rd October, two US B-5 stealth bombers, with the capability of flying well above the Chinese zone of defence, will take off from Christchurch airbase in New Zealand. They will fly due-west, passing the southern tip of Tasmania. Shortly after that they will turn north and commence their run over Adelaide. Then they will split up, one heading towards Western Australia, and the other through central Australia at the border with Queensland. They will be dropping a series of tactical nuclear devices, the biggest of which is a 50-Kiloton bomb. Operation Fulcrum will effectively render the major mines useless and inaccessible for decades.’
Fletcher finished the scenario. ‘The Chinese will have no further use for us and be forced to go elsewhere to find their resources.’
‘There’s always the risk of them moving further into WA, creating new mines,’ said Sarah.
‘Yes, but they will know what we’re capable of — what we’re prepared to do to keep them out of our country,’ replied Fletcher quickly.
‘Besides, this was an economilitary invasion,’ said Stephens firmly, ‘they were here to secure cheap resources from our existing mines. If they have to build new mines, they would sooner build mines in their own country. God knows they’ve got enough iron ore and precious metals over there.’
Stephens suddenly pushed his chair back. ‘That reminds me — Western Australia. That idiot, Ian Bright — the premier who cut a deal with the Chinese — will be left out in the cold after this. I want him removed from office and charged with treason as soon as this is over. I want some company when they lock me up for bombing our own country,’ he finished, wryly.
‘Sir, you will not be going to gaol. You will be a hero,’ replied Sarah earnestly.
General Stephens kept his smile. ‘I hope you’re right, Sarah, but I can’t see it happening. Anyway, how are we going with relocating the civilians living in the region?’
Sarah opened her leather folder, pulling out a screen and handing it to Stephens. ‘The relocation is going as planned and we have already cleared 70 per cent of the townships and properties there. We’ve encountered minimal resistance from the locals, and nothing from the Chinese.’
‘Very good!’ Stephens said, flicking through the screen. ‘My not going to prison after this is completely dependent on two things: the Chinese not finding out about our operation, and not one Australian getting so much as a suntan from the blast. Fletch, have the Chinese been in touch? Are they asking questions yet?’
‘Nothing, Marty. I assume they just think we’re capitulating and clearing out.’
‘Good. If Xian or Yun tries to contact us, I’ll feed them the same story. All right,’ Stephens said, gesturing to the door, ‘if you could please excuse me I have some calls to make. The Minister of Agriculture wants to talk about why farmers are being asked to leave their properties.’
That night Sarah made sure she got home early. She needed to figure out how to talk Matt out of going public with what little he knew. She was pacing with a glass of wine in hand, cursing herself for not having her strategy already planned. She’d been stretched so thin with the relocation of the civilians that she hadn’t had time to come up with contingency plans.
The buzzer sounded. Sarah opened the door and Matt walked in, his tie loosened, his shirt creased. He looked dishevelled and flustered.
‘So Sarah, you want to tell me what’s going on?’ asked Matt with an air of forced calm.
‘Come in, Matt. Nice to see you, too,’ replied Sarah sarcastically.
‘Whatever. Tell me what’s going on.’
‘Nothing!’ she cried teasingly. She playfully tugged on his lapels, pulling him in for a kiss. ‘You have to let it go, Matt.’
‘No chance,’ he said, pulling away. ‘I know you’re up to something. Either you tell me everything, or I go to the press with what I think is going down. You can’t be allowed to do this. I couldn’t live with myself if this happened and I didn’t do whatever I could to stop it.’
Sarah could feel the situation slipping away from her. ‘Matt, please,’ she pleaded. ‘You have got to let it go. There is no plan, but if you go to the press talking about nukes you could start wholesale panic and people could get hurt.’