India was still hot over the resupply of Chinese forces in Bangladesh. The Chinese planes had to fly over a small strip of India to get to Bangladesh. The shortest route was sixty miles across India between China and Bangladesh. Twice India had threatened to shoot down any more transports. Then a day ago they did, downing three large transport planes that had no fighter escort.
Today, China announced that MiG fighters would now escort their unarmed supply transports across the line into Bangladesh. India had asked for U.S. assistance, calling on the mutual defense treaty with the United States. They asked for an AWACS plane to monitor the area for Chinese flights, and for fighter aircraft to help counter the MiG escorts. Washington was taking the request under advisement. India said they must have the help within four days or it would not be of any value.
Murdock put down a confidential bulletin he had from Don Stroh and shook his head. “What the hell are we doing in this mess anyway, Stroh? Do we really have a mutual defense treaty with India?”
“Of a sort. It’s a broad multinational thing that covers many areas, and it could be interpreted as being for military aid when attacked. That’s what State is churning around about. No worry about that for a while. What the Washington boys are really wondering about is China and Pakistan. Word leaking out is that China is not looking at Pakistan as a partner in this crazy war. We’re not sure why, but relations between the former allies seem to be weakening and could collapse.”
“That with three hundred thousand Chinese troops now inside Pakistan where they were invited guests?” Murdock asked. “That’s like inviting a fox into your chicken coop.”
“Could well be. In the meantime, State and New Delhi are whipping up a new wrinkle. They want to launch what looks like an attack on Nepal and see how the Chinese react. Will they fight to hold the country or was that just a warm up for the rest of the war? We could find out fairly soon.”
“A fake attack, timed charges, loudspeakers, tapes of machine, and mortar fire, the whole thing,” Murdock said. At least we won’t have to worry about that one.”
“Didn’t I tell you?” Stroh asked. “Something is coming through channels right now, but then I can’t talk about it.”
Murdock sat up straighter in the ward room where he and Stroh were working on coffee. “Of course you can’t talk to me about it, but if you were simply thinking out loud…” The men looked at each other and laughed.
“Yeah, I think out loud a lot. That’s what gets me in trouble with the brass around here. Remember I was thinking about that fake attack on Nepal and the Chinese. I didn’t tell you but there could be the SEALs’ name tag on that one. If it comes through. Hell, a walk in the park. Anyway, you guys are getting bored just sitting here eating three times a day, sleeping ten hours. Hey, your men must be going nuts.”
“Yeah, that’s straight. Me too. Nepal. Why don’t they just base us in Calcutta for a while? We’ll be a lot closer to the action.”
“You could be a lot closer tomorrow.” Stroh held up both hands. “Hey, you didn’t hear it from me. I’m just having a cup of java here with some wild-assed SEAL. I know nothing.”
“Yeah, you and Sergeant Schultz from the old Bob Crane TV series about the Stalag Seventeen WW two prison camp.” They both chuckled.
“Well, guess I better get busy and see if my guys are up on their shots and everything.”
“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about, Sailor. Me, I got to go see a movie.”
Murdock finished his coffee and headed for the SEAL compartment. He had some getting ready to do.
He stopped by at the hospital. Every day he visited Vinnie Van Dyke. He was improving. The red tag was off his chart. In another week he should be well enough to be flown back to Balboa Hospital.
“Vinnie, you didn’t miss a thing in Hong Kong. We didn’t even get shore leave.”
“You guys took down a whole damn luxury liner?”
“Just the bad guys onboard, about thirty of them as I recall. They weren’t special troops. China has some good ones. These were just soldiers, and didn’t know what they were doing.”
“Hey, docs say I might get out of here and back to Balboa in another week, isn’t that great!”
“Yeah, in Balboa those three girls you have on strings can come see you. Just be sure they come on different days.”
“Hey, Cap, not three. Just two and one of them I’m trying to dump. Yeah, I’m looking forward to going home.”
Murdock left and checked over his remaining men. The sixteen-man platoon was down to fourteen. Jaybird had been filling in for Dobler doing the senior chief’s chores. He hated to lose men, even for a few missions.
If they did do a show for China along the border, it wouldn’t be much. They would need a pair of trucks and would have to go in after dark and set up the whole thing to launch a night attack on the next day at dusk. That would leave Mr. Chinaman twelve hours of darkness to worry about an attack.
At 1400 the messenger came. Murdock and planning team wanted in the admiral’s cabin. Murdock, DeWitt, and Jaybird went to the meeting.
Captain Robertson and two more Captains faced the three SEALs. Don Stroh came in late and took a seat.
“SEALs, you’ve heard about the idea of sending in a team to create the illusion of a massive attack on the Nepal border at one of the roads that leads into the mountains.”
“Yes, sir,” Murdock said.
“Good, what’s your reading on the idea?”
“Can be highly effective if done right and at the right time of the day. We did a good one during Desert Storm in the Gulf. Pulled several divisions out of the primary target to defend a beach that was never invaded.”
“I know about that one,” one of the other captains said. “Will it work here?”
Murdock considered it a moment. “Yes, sir, but it will take a mile of frontage and a platoon of forty Marines to help us plant the explosives and run the generators and loud speaker systems. It’s a hell of a big job.”
“How much explosives?”
“Fifty pounds every one hundred feet. That’s five hundred times fifty. That’s twenty-five thousand pounds. Twelve and a half tons.”
“What if we cut the amount in half at each spot, set them off in a pattern, not all at once, so it would seem more like the real thing?” Jaybird asked.
The captain looked at Murdock.
“Sounds interesting, sir. We haven’t had time to do any planning on this.”
“Let’s do it now. The floor is open.”
Murdock looked at the captain, he was serious. He turned to DeWitt. “Ed, will we need anything that can’t be detonated with a radio signal?”
“No, there should be forty-eight point timers on board. Two sets would give us ninety-six. We string the charges in sequences of five to each frequency.”
“What about rockets without warheads, to slam over the border and into Nepal but no bang on the other end?” Jaybird asked.
“Yeah, I like it,” one of the captains said.
“Machine gun fire on tape played over loud speakers,” Murdock said. “We can throw in dozens of explosions, too. We time the whole thing for a half hour.”
“Space out the heavy explosions?” Captain Robertson asked.
“That would help us play out the half hour,” Murdock said. “Give them time to listen and make some reports to China GHQ in Katmandu.”