“How did you like that engagement COB?” The Chief of the Boat smiled.
“All done Texas style sir.”
Chapter 8
“COMMANDER LONG,” MAY was surprised and embarrassed to be discovered like this up in the Destroyer’s superstructure. She held out her cell phone, he’d seen it anyway there was no going back now.
“Sorry about the phone sir, I was calling my Grandmother.”
“That’s ok Lt Commander Li. I have a cell phone too.” He smiled.
“She’s from the countryside down south. She’s very superstitious, she still believes there are sea monsters out here. She has me call her if I’m going to sea so that she can offer temple prayers for me.”
“You’re lucky that yours is still alive. Let her do that for you, it’s sweet of her.”
“Thank you, sir. I’ll turn it off and won’t use it again.” He sat down next to her and said nothing for a couple of minutes. They watched the ship’s wake leave the shoreline behind in the haze.
“Do you know where we’re going Tang?” She turned to him and tried not to return his sweet smirk.
“Offshore to the exercise area, I’ve seen the air force heading around. I’ve heard we’ll exercise with parts of the northern fleet.”
“No. We’re going south to Taiwan.” He looked down, unsmiling. “We’ll make a landing to take back the Island back into the People’s Republic.”
“Really?” she had to fain excitement, “that’s glorious. The fleet will do that?”
“It will try.” Long looked out at the seascape with a foreboding stare. A few minutes later he stood.
“I’m sorry I’ve not been the best of company Tangia. I’ll try to do better tomorrow, if you’ll let me?”
“Of course sir.”
“That is your name, isn’t it? I looked at your records.” It was said with a glinting smile.
She felt herself blush despite herself.
“Yes, it is but only my family use it.”
“You were well named, it means like an angel.” She nodded.
“So Tangia can I meet you here again tomorrow same time?” May was shocked and pleased, but she admitted to herself that it could be a place she didn’t want to go.
“Yes sir.”
“Lt Commander. Your name is Tangia, and mine is Jin. Those will do in private, yes?”
“Yes, Jin.”
“Till tomorrow.” He left. May sat and hugged her knees.
This wasn’t how she thought it would go at all. She had to befriend him if possible, she hadn’t expected this, that he’d make it so easy. They could be dancing around the possibility of becoming lovers she knew. It couldn’t be. But after long honest thought, she had to admit she wanted it to happen too. Not because of her job. Because she knew what was happening, she just couldn’t afford it. Not to be personally involved, no, that wasn’t how it was meant to be. Why me, why?
THE GATHERING WAS IN a meeting room at the heart of The Pentagon. The Joint Chiefs sat around a large table, coffees were served, and the staff left the room.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Ian Cotton USAF sat at the head.
Also present were the Chief of Staff of the Army General Sally Weingarten, USA.
Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Nicolaj Kamov, USN.
Commandant of the Marine Corps Bruce Nanut, USMC.
Chief of Staff of the Air Force General Neil L Cooper, USAF.
National Security Advisor, Stockhaisen.
General Cotton spoke.
“Lady and Gentlemen. There is now unmistakable signs that the PRC has a large Task Force moving into position off Taiwan. PLA units ashore in eastern China are mobilising. Is this it? An invasion, or an exercise mounted to intimidate the Republic of China? Whatever we may think privately our job is to prepare for the worst. Has everyone read Lieutenant Kaminski’s report? There were nods around the room.
“Yeah,” said the Commandant of the Marine Corps Bruce Nanut, “looks like she may have hit it right in the balls. Admiral Kamov, how do I get that broad transferred to the Corps?”
Kamov grinned and shook his head. General Cotton stood and poured himself another coffee. “Admiral Kamov, I assume the USS Stonewall Jackson is sniffing around for an advance guard?”
“Yes, she will be, no doubt we’ll get to know if she detects something.”
General Cotton smiled and looked about the table. So, based on the as yet unconfirmed possibility of Kaminski being right. What do we put in place and where? We’ll start with air, Neil?”
“Are you asking me to talk Military or Political?”
“Both, we have to live in the real world.”
“Ok, I used to move mud so.” General Cooper was a “Vark” pilot an F111 deep strike aircraft. Get down low and get in amongst them. “So, we’ll need Close Air Support to disrupt the landings and should they be successful, support ROC ground forces. So ideally F16, A10 and Army Apache,” he turned to Sally Weingarten and nodded, “these based in Taiwan itself. We’ll need long range top cover so F15 and F22 in Okinawa and The Philippines if possible politically. Guam and maybe southeast Asia if not. At least one carrier battle group with F18’s, but that’s Nicolaj’s patch. We’ll have B2’s on Guam but I’d like to hold em back for now. Every Goddamn tanker we have.” He shrugged and looked at Cotton. “State needs to get moving on the politics of basing, we need that stuff soon. If we can’t base here, then we’ll need to go there. Get em moving. Also any help we can get from allies. ROK, Japan Aussies?”
“I’m on to State already they’ll be getting sick of me, if they’re not now. Admiral?”
“Carriers, we’re going to have the Ronald Reagan and the John C Stennis available within six days. The Gerald R Ford group is heading for Pearl now and will be in the area in twelve days. I have two SSN’s on the way USS Cheyenne and Chicago, the USS Hampton is in San Diego and under the late stage of repairs. She’ll be ready soon.”
“Ok sounds good.”
“Bruce?”
“13TH and 15TH Marine Expeditionary Units are embarking on the LHA USS America and the LHD’s USS Makin Island and Essex. These are heavily reinforced with elements of the 11th MEU. They’ll come ashore mainly at Yunlin County south of the Cho Shui Hsi river, that’ll be about 30 miles away from Taichung City. From there they’ll move to the south east and east of the city. A key task will be to hold the bridges over No-name river at Dongshi and over the Da’an river north of Houli District.”
“No-name river?” Cotton frowned.
“They couldn’t find the name so a Captain in the planning group called it No-name, it stuck.”
“Time on target?”
“Sir, the America, the Essex and the Makin Island, our Goddamn Gator navy for this op will be sailing in a few hours from Pearl.”
General Cotton gaped.
“Pearl?”
Bruce Nanut grinned. “Prepositioned the ships. We got every USAF gasoline shit-hawk including civvies from Delta and United to fly us out there. The first on the beach will be the first on the fucking beach sir.”
“Sally, how the Army shaping up?”
“We’re getting the Apaches over to Taiwan on transports. Special ops are knocking on my door all hours of the day and night. Most of the Green Beret’s are on their way, with some already there. The 75th Ranger Regiment are moving the 3rd Battalion out by air from Fort Benning Georgia prepared for a battalion air drop from Guam. We’ll take and hold the bridges over the Da’an river. The Marines and the Rangers need to hold these bridges to stop the Chinese Marines from pushing up to Taipei.”