“I’m no fool, sir. I will want a coordinated air strike as part of the assault, so as to saturate the stronghold’s defenses.”
“You don’t even have an idea about its defenses. I will not seek air support based upon your speculation.”
Wong knew that he could use his connections to work around Zhang’s noncompliance.
“I’ll use the resources at my disposal then.”
“If you want to commit suicide and take hundreds of men with you, it’s on your conscience.”
“I understand, sir. I will take my chances. The lives of all men involved will be on my conscience.”
Boom, and a round hit the floating dock.
“Damn you, Wong! They’re attacking the Jinggang Shan now. I thought you were jamming their projectiles!”
“I am, sir.”
Another shell hit.
“Then why are they hitting my ship?”
Another round punctured the floating dock, creating the tiniest burst of light in the night outside Wong’s bridge window. He realized the obvious problem.
“Sir, you’re driving in a straight line. You haven’t changed course since you started popping chaff. They’re sending the projectiles ahead of your path and waiting for you to drive under them. They don’t need guidance to hit you, and chaff and jamming won’t help until you commence zigzag legs.”
Five more shells punctured the floating dock before it could alter its trajectory, and then every fifth round hit the hull as the railgun operators played a guessing game predicting the position of Zhang’s ship.
Wong enjoyed the fear in the task force commander’s voice.
“Very well, then, Wong. Keep command of your accursed vessel, and you can have the surface combatants and the Shang, provided their commanding officers volunteer to join you.”
“And as many helicopters as my ships can carry.”
“Yes, damn you, Wong! I don’t want your death lingering over my head for having deprived you of helicopters. My task force is hereby dismantled. You have command of a new task force, staffed by anyone who is foolish enough to join you.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Wong’s sarcastic salutation lingered unanswered as he tapped keys on his display inviting the surface combatants to rally to him under a new task force for attacking the Second Thomas Shoal.
All four commanding officers responded with courage and zeal, and Wong planned to wait until the Shang’s next communications check to invite the submarine to join.
His ships cutting random lines in the water to evade railgun rounds, he began his nautical march to the southeast.
CHAPTER 14
Renard pushed back his chair from the console and reflected upon the unfolding military activity. A long drag from his Marlboro calmed him as he sorted his thoughts.
When he understood all the moving parts and the chain of responses he would recommend, he stood and turned to the elevated row of monitors behind him. From above, Admiral Torres glared and then motioned the Frenchman to join him.
He stepped to the stairs of the room’s side passageway, climbed, and paced to the flag officer. Before he could speak, he saw Navarro enter the control room and begin descending stairs on the center’s opposite side.
“Let’s wait for him,” Torres said.
The Philippine admiral, a tall chain-smoking man with a curving upper back, had shown his coolness while ordering the railgun module’s attack. Before Renard could verbalize the suggestion, Torres had capitalized on the opportunity to damage the floating dock as it fled on a constant course and speed.
“Agreed,” Renard said. “We have time to react, but we must be of one mind.”
Navarro moved beside the admiral, who stood a full head taller.
“You and your staff have done well thus far, Admiral Torres,” he said. “The management of communications, the timing of your attack with the railgun module, the adjustment to the chaff and jamming countermeasures — all excellent.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“But I am concerned,” Navarro said. “Five combatant vessels appear willing to attack the Second Thomas Shoal, and American intelligence reveals signs of bomber and fighter escort activity mobilizing on air bases in the Guangzhou Military Region. I suspect a coordinated attack.”
“The five Chinese combatants have forty anti-ship missiles and over one hundred anti-air missiles that can be used in a surface-attack mode,” Torres said. “A full assault would overwhelm the railgun module’s air defenses and test its armor beyond its design. I know what I must do to deter this, but deterring bombers is outside my reach. I will need fighter support if the Chinese bring bombers.”
“Leave the bombers to me,” Navarro said. “If the entire Chinese air force wishes to attack the module, we cannot turn them all back. However, our pilots are ready to meet whatever force comes, and there are surprises awaiting our adversaries if they approach the area. Maintain your focus on naval matters, and trust your aviator colleagues.”
The admiral’s voice sounded hoarse from decades of cigarette use.
“I will, sir,” Torres said.
“The general is scrambling an entire squadron to intercept the incoming bombers before they can reach the Spratly Islands,” Navarro said.
With the Rankin and the Wraith in holding patterns, Renard had observed the action, enjoying a silent celebration when the railgun module proved its efficacy in deterring the landing force at Thitu. But his hyperactive mind and inflated ego compelled him to contribute, and he recognized the task force’s aggressive turn towards the module as his opportunity.
“Remember the Shang-class submarine that is suspected to be part of the task force,” he said. “It remains outside our means of detection, but I must assume that it’s leading the attack.”
“How does that impact our tactics?” Navarro asked.
“If the railguns can find their targets, it will mean nothing other than the handful of its onboard anti-ship missiles to contend with,” Renard said. “My greatest concern is if the surface combatants continue to evade the railgun rounds. In that case, the Wraith will then need to attack the surface ships, doing so while the Shang hunts it. It’s nothing impossible, but it’s tricky business to hunt surface ships while being hunted by another submarine, even for Jake.”
“What of the Rankin?” Torres asked. “It is illogical to leave its weapons unused. Now that our need for defense is real, can it not be permitted to engage the Chinese?”
“I would lose credibility if I were to ask the Australian Minister for Defence,” Navarro said. “But I agree and will ask an intermediary who might intervene with the minister on our behalf.”
Renard realized that the chief intended for him to call Olivia McDonald. The Frenchman silently agreed, and he would call her at his next chance, but he knew that the conversation would lead nowhere. Jake and the Wraith were alone against the Shang and the surface combatants.
“Agreed,” he said. “But first, we must adjust the railgun module’s tactics. Since there’s no shortage of rounds, you should recommence firing. At the very least, you’ll force the task force into erratic maneuvering, which will slow its progress.”
Torres nodded, gained the attention of an underling, and ordered the railgun module commander to attempt to predict the Chinese destroyer’s course and hit it, assuming unguided shells.
With seventy seconds now separating the first shot from its result, Renard wiggled his phone in front of the Filipinos.
“Please excuse me, gentlemen,” he said. “Let me see if I can use my connections with the Americans to improve our situation.”