‘I think he’s testing the waters,’ she said finally. ‘There’s a lot of misinformation being spread about him — possibly by him — to see how it’s taken by the world at large. He wants to see how far he can push things. In a way, the Russian people expect it of him, it’s a game of sorts. As for any real, immediate, direct threat, I don’t think there is any. If you’re wondering if he can keep until your meeting next month, then — for my money at least — he can.’
‘Thank you Cat,’ Abrams said with a smile, turning as her Secretary of State, Nicholas Ingham, started to speak.
‘I would recommend trying to get a clear, verbal reassurance from him during your meetings,’ Ingham said, ‘in front of the world media if you can, getting him to clarify his position regarding the MDT. If you ask him direct, he’ll be forced to give his tacit support for the treaty. Then — whatever his real intentions — it’ll give us some extra time to sort things out behind the scenes.’
‘If he wants to end the MDT?’ Abrams asked next.
‘I think we can still keep China as a defensive partner,’ Ingham said, to murmurs of agreement around the table. ‘She’s proven herself a reliable ally already, and if Emelienenko wants to break away, then having China on our side will be vital.’
‘Yes,’ Abrams agreed, ‘I think you’re right.’ China had, in fact, already been immensely helpful, offering both her intelligence and military assistance in stopping a terrifying bioweapon attack on the United States just a few short months before. ‘Nick, get people to start looking into the ramifications of making the MDT a bipartisan treaty, so we can be ready to go if necessary. Pete,’ she said, turning to General Peter Olsen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, ‘talking about China, how are the exercises looking?’
Olsen offered a rare smile. ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Very good, in fact. The Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is entering the East China Sea right now, ready to engage in the exercises, which start tomorrow. It’s a real breakthrough,’ he said happily, ‘our first combined naval exercises with the Chinese. Even with the MDT, as you know, they’ve been reluctant to operate closely with us on training, and this means that they’re really opening up to us, which is great. It should be useful to both of us, and I can’t wait for it to get started. General Wu’s been particularly helpful, as you know.’
Abrams nodded. General Wu De was the Vice Chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission, which exerted control over China’s immense armed forces, and was a staunch supporter of the MDT. ‘Excellent,’ Abrams said, ‘please keep me updated on how it goes.’ She finished her coffee and turned once again to dos Santos. ‘Anything else I need to know?’
‘Only the possible threat stemming from Aryan Ultra,’ she said, ‘but you know that’s being dealt with as we speak.’
There was glance between the two women, and nothing more needed to be said. Indeed, it couldn’t be said; the agency that was dealing with it didn’t officially exist, and — despite their seniority — not everyone in the room knew of its existence.
Force One was a small, dedicated anti-terrorist team led by Mark Cole, a former Navy SEAL and covert government operative. The threats coming through the rumor mill about a possible attack by the homegrown criminal terrorist group Aryan Ultra weren’t specific; but they was serious enough to be investigated, and Cole was taking care of this one himself.
Cole’s presence was enough for Abrams to think nothing more about it, and she nodded once, then turned to address the room.
‘Okay, that’s it for this morning,’ she said. ‘Let’s hope we’ll have another peaceful day.’
3
The USS Gerald R. Ford was four acres of go-anywhere American real estate, the most powerful mobile weapons system ever created. With a crew of four and a half thousand, a complement of ninety aircraft, and a displacement of one hundred thousand tons, the ‘super carrier’ was rightfully regarded as being a city at sea.
Captain Samuel Meadows looked out of the windows of the seventh-story bridge and smiled. Despite the presence of Admiral Charles Decker, the commander of the Carrier Strike Group, on the flag bridge one level down, the fact was that the Ford was his city at sea, his four acres of real estate. Although Decker was in charge of the CSG, Meadows was in charge of the actual carrier flagship herself, and that knowledge sent a warm feeling floating through him.
The CSG was en route for a rendezvous with Chinese forces in the East China Sea, where they would engage in formal exercises with their MDT compatriots. Another smile creased Meadows’ face as he thought about the irony of the situation; not that long ago, Meadows was training his people to fight against the PLA Navy, and now here they were, working together. Well, he considered as he stared out at the wide blue horizon, that was the way of the world wasn’t it? It was fluid.
US navy intelligence briefings — as well as information now shared freely by the Chinese navy itself — showed that the nation’s maritime forces were hugely improved over previous generations. China had her own aircraft carrier now, and the logistical, technical and electronic support to go with it. In fact, her capabilities had improved so much — and indications were that her land and air forces had improved right along with her navy — that Meadows was glad that they weren’t going into battle for real. Once upon a time, he would have been assured of a quick, decisive victory; now, he wasn’t so sure.
But, he told himself, there was still nothing in the world to match a US carrier strike group in full fury. It wasn’t just the super carrier itself — although with ninety aircraft aboard, capable of making a launch from the huge decks every twenty-five seconds, it was a supremely fearsome combat platform; it was the other elements making up the group which combined to create an almost unstoppable force.
There were two Aegis guided missile cruisers, two guided missile destroyers, and a Los Angeles-class attack submarine, as well as a combined ammunition, oiler and supply ship. Together, the group could project US power anywhere in the world at short notice, and do so on a colossal scale.
On the Ford herself was a carrier air wing which consisted of nine squadrons, including the new F-35 warplanes which — at a hundred and sixty million dollars apiece — were the costliest weapon systems in history. But, Meadows was pleased to say, they were also among the most effective. Missions that had historically been carried out by a multitude of different aircraft — intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic attack — could now be performed solely by the F-35, a fifth generation airplane which combined advanced stealth technology with a fighter’s speed and agility.
Meadows relaxed into his wide leather captain’s chair, confidant that — despite the advances in China’s military forces, and those of others around the world — there was still nothing so capable as a US carrier strike group.
He checked on the locations of the other ships in his group, and then on his operating aircraft; even though the exercise hadn’t yet started, he was still operating patrols as he would do when coming into enemy territory. He had a couple of fighters up, as well as an E2D Advanced Hawkeye to provide an airborne early warning capability. The electronic attack Prowlers and Growlers would be going up shortly too.
He checked his watch, noting that he would have to be on the flag bridge in twenty minutes for the final exercise briefing.