Red Tide, стр. 23
“You do that Son. Give them a broadside for me.” And with that they parted.
***
Yulin Harbor, Hainan Island, China
It was late in the day. Thousands of citizens, all bused in for the occasion, stood on docks and waved victory pennants as the ships steamed out to sea. Because the Henan was still in port undergoing repairs, Admiral Wen had been forced to shift his flag to a new Type 055 destroyer. The Baotou, in company with another destroyer and a frigate, were headed north toward Japan.
Normally such deployments were concealed to the extent that such a thing was possible. But Wen wanted the Allies to see the relatively small armada in hopes that the Japanese would send their nascent fleet out to do battle.
Two Chinese submarines were waiting to join the group beyond the seawall and, under the cover of darkness, the Sea Dragon would sail as well. The cruiser’s assignment was to hang back about fifty miles or so, where she would be ready to support the other vessels with her railgun and missiles. Wen felt sure that another great victory was in the offing, so long as the Japanese took the bait.
***
Aboard the semi-submersible cruiser Sea Dragon
Captain Peng Ko was frustrated. He understood Admiral Wen’s plan, but believed the Japanese were too smart to engage the battle group without having an American carrier on hand, and were likely to remain in port.
But had the Sea Dragon and the submarines been allowed to venture forth on their own, it might have been possible to catch the Japanese by surprise during one of the fleet exercises they were so fond of. And Ko had said as much.
It was clear however, that even after the role the cruiser played in sinking the Concord, Admiral Wen viewed the semi-submersible as little more than a toy, rather than a key element of his battle group.
So as Ko knelt before the statue of Tianfei in his cabin, he called upon her to help Wen understand the Sea Dragon’s true value, and grant his ship its rightful place in the battle group. He finished with the words, “I am a sailor. I ask your blessing on my ship and my crew.”
The Princess of Heaven remained mute—one hand extended as if to bless him. Ko hoped that she would.
***
Lieutenant Junior Grade Jev Jing was terrified by the extent of his own success. After harvesting Ang’s key strokes Jing had been able to access the political officer’s banking information and remove $1,000 from an account that had a very large balance. Jing spent the money on an encryption and de-encryption tool called Strong Sword NIK7854.
Now it was time to use Strong Sword, and do so quickly, before Ang discovered the illicit transaction. And before he could call on others for help. Because although Jing lacked proof, he felt sure Ang was more than a communist zealot. If so, it would behoove Jing to get whatever he could, make use of it and reformat the hard drive on his laptop.
But, just as Jing was about to start work, Commander Shi’s voice came over the loudspeaker system. “Attention on deck. We’re about to cast off. Report to your duty stations immediately. We’re going to sea.”
***
Sam Ratulangi International Airport, near the city of Manado, Indonesia
Ryson was exhausted. The trip from Washington D.C. to Manado, Indonesia had taken a day and a half, and involved three connections, some of which required long waits.
Sam Ratulangi had been a mostly civilian airport prior to the war. That was no longer the case. Because Manado was on the very north end of the Indonesian Archipelago, and just south of the Philippines, it was home to an important airbase. Most of the base was dedicated to military cargo planes, and Airborne Early Warning and Control (AWACS) aircraft, which were used to track Chinese air, land and sea movements.
But since Manado was within range of the Chinese airfield on Hainan island, the Allies kept a multi-national air wing there too, which was ready to respond if the enemy sent their long-range bombers south.
And such a thing was possible since the H-6Ns could make the round trip without refueling if necessary, and were equipped to carry air-launched cruise missiles.
To keep the airport safe the area was protected by surface-to-air missile batteries and C-RAM (Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar) installations. One of which was a thousand yards away as Ryson clattered down the roll-up stairs. It was early in the day, but the temperature was already uncomfortably warm, and the air was muggy.
A female Master Chief was there to greet Ryson at the foot of the stairs. The salute was followed by a handshake. “My name is Jo Jensen, sir. Welcome to Indonesia and Squadron 7. Royal Australian Navy Lieutenant Commander Linda Vos is your XO. She’s out on patrol, but sends her regards, and is looking forward to meeting you. Do you have any checked luggage?”
Jensen appeared to be forty-something, had navy-short hair, and a lanky build. Ryson liked her professional no-nonsense manner. As the squadron’s senior enlisted person Jensen would play an important role as an advisor and go-between. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Master Chief. I checked a duffle bag. Let’s see if it survived the transfers.”
Jensen led Ryson inside where she spoke to an air force sergeant, and presto, the duffle bag appeared. An unarmed Land Rover was waiting in the parking garage. It soon became clear that Jensen knew her way around as they left the airport and merged with traffic. “Manado is about eight miles away, sir. So, the trip won’t take long.”
“Tell me about the harbor,” Ryson said. “It isn’t much from what I could see online.”
“No, it isn’t,” Jensen agreed. “The main problem is size. It’s too small.