“Major Larson. I’m May Hsin of the Taiwanese National Security Bureau the NSB. I’m here undercover wearing the uniform of a Lieutenant Commander of the PLAN. I need to contact my leader in Taipei.”
“Well, ten out of ten for that stream of horse shit.” Larson laughed.
“I’m telling the truth. At least get hold of a ROC Officer I can explain this to.”
“We got one Mam, he’s attached to us for translation.” The Lieutenant arrived wearing a 234 Mechanized infantry brigade uniform.
He stared at her open mouthed in surprise and then spoke to her in Mandarin. She replied in traditional Chinese laced with Taiwan slang. They spoke for several minutes.
Eventually he spoke to the Major. “Sir, she maybe who she says she is. I need to take her to our command post.”
“Go ahead soldier, we’ll hold your bridge.”
MAY SAT AT A BLACK smooth table in a large office with views over Taipei’s cityscape. She still wore the blue camouflaged PLAN Lieutenant Commanders uniform.
Down in central Taiwan at the busy command post, she’d been passed from pillar to post at first, but she lost her temper and swore at the Colonel. She’d threatened him with inserting a growing bamboo in a dark and private orifice and then demanded to speak to the NSB.
She backed this up with language only heard in the gutters of Taipei, and in the ROC Marines of course. They finally relented, she heard someone say, “Just get rid of the bitch.”
Sat with her was Chen Huo Director of 2nd Division NSB.
“You achieved much May Hsin. You couldn’t help that they decided to mount this invasion just when you joined the ship. Please work with our team for debriefing. Your information will be very useful.”
“Sir, whatever I give you now will be nothing compared to what I can give you. I need to go back.”
“Back? You have done what we required under the circumstance. Why do you want to go back?” She knew if she told him why, he’d have to kick the situation upstairs to the Government. That would be like handing a box of doughnuts to a cage full of Gibbons, they’d be fighting and squabbling for days. If she told him what she had in mind, he’d have locked her in an asylum.
“Sir do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Then I need to go back.” He started to speak, she held up her hand.
“Sir, you said you trusted me,” May looked at him with doe like eyes, “then trust me when I say I can’t tell you yet. Please send me back. Our nation is at stake.” He stared at her, she held his gaze. He finally sat back.
“Ok May, you can go back. I know I’m a fool but go and do what you must. God help me.”
“Thank you Sir, thank you.”
“Make whatever arrangements you have to. You have my authority behind you.”
May left and spent the day visiting several departments making preparations. When all was in place she visited Director Chen Huo again.
“Sir, could I ask you a favour?”
“Of course.”
May put on her best seductive accent and gave him a helpless puppy like gaze. “Please. Could you come outside with me for a little while?”
Chen smiled, he knew he was a sucker for pretty women.
“You remind me of my daughter,” he smiled, “you’re both bullies’. But she’s an expensive bully. Come on.” May smiled and followed him out of the office. Chen’s aide filmed them and passed May the data card.
SHE DRESSED AS A CIVILIAN but packed the uniform in her suitcase. May flew to Bangkok and then on to Beijing.
She looked out of the Thai airlines Boeing 787’s window as they approached Beijing. It was now down to her. It could be a free Taiwan, she could swim off her beaches, wander Taipei’s bustling night markets. Savour the cooking smells from the wok’s and grills. Eat among their sprinkling lights, throngs of people passing by.
May sighed, she knew she could also remain here forever in an unmarked grave.
Chapter 14
INNES AND MARR CLIMBED down out of the sail onto the main companionway. Commander Pike was waiting.
“Both Stonefish are in place either side of the doors Sir.”
“Well done the pair of you. Any trouble?”
“Uncle Joe dropped a few grenades on us,” said Marr, “can’t think why we were just out for a midnight swim.”
“Don’t worry, he means well. So, Innes you get to see us in action. I’ve swapped messages with Commander Blake via Satellite. We have a strategy set out. We’ll transfer you back to your boat when we can. In the meantime, you have the run of the boat. The Chief has got you a bunk.” He turned for the control room and then looked back.
“Oh Innes, he had to put you in the female bunk room. Is that ok?”
Innes almost dropped his jaw but held it. “Yes Sir. That’s fine.”
“You lucky bastard,” said Marr, “I tried bribing the Chief, no deal.”
Innes struggled with a reply. Pike laughed.
“In your dreams sailor, in your dreams.”
Pike stood at his Conn. “Planesman, two thirds right rudder, periscope depth, speed twelve knots. Take up position at datum one and come about.” He looked around the dimly lit room, a red light bathed the control room, all wore white anti-flash hoods and stared into screens. Weaps, give me tube status.”
“Sir, tubes one and two Spearfish, tubes three to six Tomahawk.”
The boat sailed through the darkness off Hainan Island. After several minutes she reached her datum point and turned to face south west.
“Raise the comms buoy, get a position fix. Listen for the Ghosts.” Frank Pike knew there was nothing more to be done for now, it was wait. The long wait soldiers and sailors had endured down the centuries, The wait for battle.
He lay ten miles to the north of the entrance to Yalong Bay. USS Stonewall Jackson was to the south five miles outside the entrance, floating at two hundred feet. Her Pointer drone Scooby waited closer in and south of the entrance.
All three waited in the black abyss, silent as the grave.
“GHOST ONE COMING UP on datum, wait one.” Four B2 Spirit stealth bombers led by the Spirit of Missouri flew west towards the target. Major Joe “meatballs” Fijewski looked out at the dark sky, stars were visible up in the heavens. He selected the intraship communication button.
“Ghost one on datum. The People’s Republic Army Navy has been online shopping and the package is ready”
“Ghost two on datum package ready.”
“Ghost three on datum package ready.”
“Ghost four, heading down the delivery glidepath, so long Ghost flight.”
“Copy four, good luck.” Ghost four fell gradually away on her forward sloping approach to Hainan.
“Sewer rat one this is Ghost over, sewer rat one this is…”
“Ghost one this is Sewer rat over.” The voice had an unmistakable British accent.
“We are at datum Sewer rat. The package will be dispatched now.”
“Copy Ghost, Sewer rat. Understand package on its way over.”
“Over to you Sewer rat. Give em hell. Ghost out.”
“Ok deploy weapons.” The Bombay doors opened.
The Weapons Officer pickled the stick and three JASSM and seven Tomahawk cruise missiles fell from their hardpoints. The motors lit, and they sped off towards distant Hainan. The other two bombers released their Tomahawks into the night. Bombay doors closed, and they turned back east towards Guam.
PIKE PLACED HIS HANDSET back on the hook.
“Sonar, one low power ping, directional to south west.”
“Sir.” His hands flicked over the controls.