With that, the president turned and walked back down the red carpet.
David was sitting up, holding his knees and sweating. That was certainly a different type of speech.
The news show host said, “So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The president is walking back down the red carpet of the East Room after giving his speech. It only lasted a few minutes. But the message was… well, let’s hear takes from our panel…”
The first talking head, a white-haired man who was described as a professor at the Kennedy School, said, “Well, I must admit I am surprised at the list of demands that the president sent to China. Normally that would be done through diplomatic means…”
“Which means it was probably political?” came the host.
“Well, I don’t know that it was necessarily political. But the fact that he used this forum — I think that at least means that China wasn’t the only audience for this speech. The president wants the American people to know that he is responding to both North Korea and China with strength. This is a president who draws red lines and sticks to them. So, I think clearly the president wants to send a strong message around the world that the United States will not be trifled with anymore.”
The host said, “So is the problem that it wasn’t clear where the red lines are?”
“Perhaps. I mean, he did list off those demands for China to comply with. But aside from that, I don’t believe I know where the red lines are for North Korea.”
“Did anyone else feel that way?”
Another person on the panel said, “I completely agree. The tone was right. And that will silence some of the doubters and satisfy those who were calling for a stronger response to Chinese hostilities, but aside from that, it was very vague. I mean, he kept saying, ‘be warned.’ I wrote it down here, he said, ‘If our enemies proceed to test us, we will strike… ’ Now, that’s a very tough statement. But you can really interpret it any way you want, can’t you? I mean, what does it mean to test us? Does that mean that North Korea can test-fire a nuclear missile into the ocean? As they have been doing? Is that testing us? Is he saying that we’re going to strike North Korea for their accidental missile breakup over Japan? Is that against this new set of rules that the president has set down?”
“I think that may have been one of the things that he wanted to call out, yes.”
Another panel member said, “I think that the president did a great job tonight. He was very clear, I think. Very clear. China is now on notice. North Korea, Iran, Russia. They are all now on notice. This president isn’t afraid to fight back. I think that’s what we should take away from what we saw here tonight.”
The host said, “So where is the line drawn?”
The champion of the president said, “We are finally drawing a line. The recent hostile acts by China will not be tolerated. And our military responded with appropriate deadly force in the Pacific, when challenged. And now everyone else who wishes to do us harm should be warned as well. I think the president did a fabulous job in communicating that. And I’m pleased to see that he listed a clear set of demands for China. They can’t just blame this on a rogue politician or businessman or whatever this Cheng Jinshan fellow is over there. Now the whole country is going to be held responsible. And I think that’s a smart move by the president. I’ll tell you what else I liked. I also liked that he tied in China and North Korea together. Because let’s face it, folks, North Korea has their nuclear technology because of China. And it’s about time that China began to police them the way they should.”
David grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. He was halfway through another set of sit-ups when his phone let out an alert noise on his bed. David grabbed it and checked the number.
It was a text message from Tetsuo.
Meeting with Natesh. 30 minutes.
20
Major Mason sat in the auditorium with the US Air Force crew of seven other pilots and combat systems officers, all waiting to receive their mission brief. It was just two crews today. The doors were shut, as was normal. But their CO — commanding officer of the Ninth Bomb Squadron — was present, which was not normal.
Something big was going down.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Here is the plan for the sortie tonight.” The intelligence officer had a somber look.
The briefing took an hour. There were a lot of raised eyebrows and exchanged glances. When it was finished, the commanding officer said, “Anyone has questions, now’s the time.”
There were a few questions about tanker positions and timing, and fighter cover. Then Major Chuck “Hightower” Mason, who was flying as pilot in command of the lead B-1B, raised his hand.
“Sir, I’m not sure if this is my place, but do we expect any repercussions from this?”
“Repercussions?”
“Yes, sir.”
The commanding officer said, “I think we will need to be ready for anything, Hightower. Fly safe.”
The room was oddly silent as they got up to depart. The pilots and combat systems officers all realized that this mission would be different. Many of them were combat veterans. They had dropped ordnance in Iraq and Afghanistan. But that airspace was definitely not the Korean peninsula. Spending hours loitering tens of thousands of feet over the mountains of Afghanistan, waiting until a forward air controller called in close air support, was one thing. There wasn’t much in the way of return fire up that high.
North Korea was loaded with air defense assets.
Only two crews would go on this mission. There were squadrons of B-1Bs and B-2s currently deployed to Anderson Air Force Base on Guam. But this mission would only use the B-1s. A limited strike.
The major thought that sentiment was laughable. There was no such thing as a limited strike when it came to North Korea. They couldn’t predict what might happen after the bombs dropped. While he appreciated that his target was a good one, he questioned the wisdom of upping the ante like this. If the United States was going to attack North Korea, his opinion was that it had to be all or nothing. But he was just a major. No one had asked him.
“You believe this shit?” His combat systems officer was the mission commander for his aircraft.
“What about it?”
“Come on. Don’t pretend you aren’t wondering the same thing I am. You were the one who asked the question on everyone’s mind. What comes next? After we drop these bombs.”
“Could be something they aren’t telling us.”
“Maybe. But I don’t think so. The B-2 guys aren’t briefing. Most of our squadron isn’t briefing.”
“I think the generals are trying to have it both ways by just sending us in. They’re trying to blow up a little missile silo and hope North Korea doesn’t get too pissed.”
“That’s a gamble, man. Dudes at the Pentagon must be smoking some good shit, that’s all I can say.”
“Yeah, well. Shit, I don’t know. I just work here.”
They walked into the base ops building in their green flight suits and jackets, their survival vests over top. They put their helmets and oxygen masks on for preflight. They took turns checking that their oxygen masks were working properly on a small gray box. Flipping switches, one at a time. The process was second nature. They did it before every flight. Fast hand movements, clicks, the swing of a needle, and on to the next guy. The sound of aircraft auxiliary power units cranking up outside on the flight line.
The birds were already preflighted. The “Bone,” as the B-1 was called, was one of the largest and fastest bombers ever made. Originally designed as a high-speed addition to the nuclear triad, it had been brought into the world to drop nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union back during the Cold War.