'They're a hell of a long way away. I don't know. The 2d Infantry Division up at Camp Casey has Blackhawks, but I kind of doubt we can talk the division commander out of one to fly this mission. You've seen what kind of results we get when we call up someone." Hooker rubbed his face. "I don't suppose either of you are helicopter pilots. We could go steal one. Hell, even then, a Blackhawk can't make it from Korea to China and back out, even going to Japan. It's too far. It would have to refuel somewhere."
Something clicked in Trapp's mind. He stood up suddenly. "I know what we can do. I don't know if it will work, but it's a start in the right direction. At least it beats sitting around here wasting our time on the phone. Hook, we're going to need your help. We need you to get us some things first, then we're going to need you to drive."
17
"And if in all respects unequal, be capable
of eluding him, for a small force is but booty
for one more powerful."
Sun Tzu: The Art of War
Tugur had taken over the army commander's office. He sat behind the desk, wreathed in cigarette smoke, with maps of the area spread out in front of him. He glanced up as the army commander walked in. The man seated himself across the desk and peered at the colonel for a few seconds before beginning his situation report. Tugur could tell that the man resented his presence but was too afraid of Yang to make an issue of it.
"All units are in place, Colonel. Two hours early. They are ready to move out when you give the order. We have also received a report from the crash site. They say that the explosion and fire make it impossible to determine the type or nationality of the aircraft. It appears to have been a helicopter. There are some human remains scattered about the area. Again, it is impossible to determine the number or nationalities of casualties."
Tugur shook his head. "Unacceptable! Tell that idiot up there I want to know how many casualties and the type and nationality of the aircraft. I don't care if he has to put the pieces together, both the aircraft and bodies, by hand."
"Yes, Colonel. I told him that they must remain up there all night if need be, until they have the answers we require. Since it will be cold tonight, I am sure they will work somewhat harder."
Tugur allowed himself the ghost of a smile. "Good. Anything else?"
"Should we not begin the sweep now? All units are in place and awaiting your command."
"Go ahead and get them started." Tugur stirred. "I need to make some phone calls." He waited until the army commander was out of the office, then dialed Yang's number.
"Sir, this is Tugur. The search has started."
Yang's voice acknowledged the news. "Good. We have another problem. I have an eyes-only message from Prime Minister Li Peng demanding any information I have on the terrorists who committed this act. It asks specifically for any indication that students might have been involved."
Tugur digested this new information. His fears grew stronger and more defined. Obviously Yang had not forwarded word on the helicopter. Knowledge is power, Tugur knew. But getting caught withholding knowledge could be very dangerous. They were in over their heads here.
Apparently Yang had come to the same conclusion. "I sent the prime minister a message telling him of the recent discovery of a crash site and also detailing our efforts to catch the terrorists. I hope that will satisfy him." There was a pause and Tugur could almost hear Yang thinking over the phone line. "Why would Li Peng be so interested in this situation? I would think he has enough problems in Beijing to occupy him. None of this makes very much sense. Why would foreigners destroy our pipeline?"
"I do not know, sir." Tugur had no answers and felt that it was a waste of time to speculate. He did not want to mention his personal fear — that the sabotage had been conducted by dissident Chinese soldiers trying to destabilize the government. The only things Tugur didn't understand were where the men had stolen the helicopter, and where they had been fleeing to when they crashed.
Yang hung up the phone. Tugur was more disturbed than ever by Yang's scheming. It was much easier being a simple soldier. Yang was trying to use this incident to advance his career, a move that could easily backfire. There was quite a bit of political maneuvering going on in Beijing, with some of the more liberal generals trying to lever
out the Old Men. Despite their long association, Tugur didn't know where Yang's allegiances lay. Yang had sent divisions down to Beijing to help settle the unrest there, so he was at least putting up the appearance of supporting the current regime. Tugur shook his head. He didn't like it.
Tugur entered the operations center for the army. The radio calls were going out, and the three divisions of the 46th Army had begun moving. From Yanji, down two hundred kilometers to Mount Paektu, the roughly thirty thousand men of the army turned to the west, away from the North Korean border, and moved toward the mountains.
The last people Jean Long expected to see in the doorway of her office were Lieutenant Colonel Hossey and Sergeant Major Hooker, accompanied by a Special Forces warrant officer. The surprise on her face was evident as her first sergeant knocked on the door and escorted them in. Her company was working this Saturday, which wasn't unusual, since they had worked nine Saturdays in a row, trying desperately to keep up with Department of the Army standards for operational readiness.
The ride to ChunChon from Seoul had been harrowing. Hooker had negotiated the narrow mountain road with a skill that any native-born Korean would have been proud of. The normal two-hour ride had taken them only an hour and a half. Five minutes ago they had finally driven down the bustling main street of ChunChon and, at the end of the street, arrived at the only gate to Camp Page.
Jean stood up and greeted them. Hossey introduced her to Warrant Officer Trapp.
"John didn't tell me you were coming up here on an exercise when I talked to him last, sir."
Hossey shut the door behind the departing first sergeant. "I'm not here on a training exercise."
Jean took in the three men's haggard faces and somber expressions. "Did something happen to John? Is he all right?"
"We don't know," Trapp answered.
Jean stood stock-still. "You don't know! What do you mean you don't know? Where is he?"
Hossey fielded that one. "He's in China."
Captain Long sat back in her chair and let that sink in.
Hossey turned to Trapp. "Give her a brief summary of what's happened."
Hooker held up his hand. "I think I'd better go out and stay by my car, just in case some roving MP decides to get a little nosy and check out what's under the blankets in the back seat." He slipped out the door and shut it behind him.
Trapp began a quick narration of events. Jean remained composed throughout the story, occasionally asking a question for clarification. When Trapp finished, she sat silently for a few seconds. Then she reached into her desk and started to rummage through the drawers. She pulled out a large-scale aviator's map. "Give me those grids again."
As Trapp repeated the numbers, she plotted them out. Then she pulled out a ruler and started calculating.
"I've already done some plotting," Trapp told her, "and there's no way to get in and back without a refuel. And that was using the 1st Group's special ops Blackhawks with external tanks. It's too far."
Jean agreed. "I figure almost five hundred and fifty-nine nautical miles in from here, then the same coming back. Hell, our Blackhawks can only go two hundred and sixty total miles on their normal fuel tanks." She was struck by a thought. Getting up, she walked to the door and called to her first sergeant. "Top, what's the status on 579?"