"Worse" — Scott paused—"than they were after we bombed the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade, or the spy-plane flap on Hainan Island?"
"A lot worse." Hartwell removed his glasses. "They've been increasing the number of military troops and equipment at both entrances to the Panama Canal, and they're forward-deploying troops, weapons, and warships in southeastern Fujian Province."
"Directly across from Taiwan," Scott noted.
"Yes. And the Chinese navy is currently conducting missile exercises near Taiwanese waters north of the Strait of Taiwan."
"Do we have any carriers in the Strait?" Jackie asked.
"Not yet, but the Kitty Hawk and Roosevelt battle groups are en route. The Vincennes has departed Yokosuka for the Strait and Seawolf is in the area. Two other attack submarines have left Pearl Harbor for the waters surrounding Taiwan."
"What about Panama?" Scott asked.
"The president is sending a carrier battle group and two amphibious carriers chockful of Marines into the Colombian Basin. He's made it clear to Beijing that we won't tolerate any interruption of traffic in the canal. No debates, no stalling for time, no ambassadors gabbing away, absolutely nothing will be tolerated."
"If the Chinese try something," Jackie asked, "do you think President Macklin will use military force?"
Prost spoke with conviction. "You can bet on it."
A hint of a smile crossed Dalton's face.
"We will retake the canal if the Chinese cause any problems or try to intimidate anyone. Secretary Shannon is going to personally reiterate that message directly to Liu Fan-ding."
"That could be a problem," Scott said. "Especially with the Chinese working so closely with Cuba."
"That's why we've been sending a lot of military assets to bases in the southeast, including Key West. In fact, we've been advertising the move to Cuba and the Chinese."
Prost seemed to derive a sense of pleasure from Macklin's aggressive position. "The president wants the Cubans and the Chinese to think about what's sitting on their doorstep. He would relish an opportunity to turn every military airfield and military installation in Cuba into rubble — it's one of his fondest desires."
"Do we have any ships or subs in the Gulf of Mexico?" Jackie asked.
"They're moving into place as we speak."
"It sounds as if we're spread fairly thin," Scott said.
"Oh, it gets better by the minute," Prost said dryly. "Now that we've removed all of our military personnel from Panama, drug traffickers, Colombian guerrillas, and rightist paramilitary forces have been conducting incursions deep into Panama. They've overpowered most of Panama's meager security forces, and the Chinese are bringing in thousands of ground troops to squelch the invasions."
Jackie looked at Hartwell. "It appears that Beijing has a perfect cover to surround the canal with Chinese forces while claiming their innocence."
"That's why the Washington battle group and the Marines are en route to the Colombian Basin."
Prost shook his head. "On top of everything else, North and South Korea are at it again."
"More clashes on the high seas?" Jackie guessed.
"I'm afraid so. One of our cruisers, Mobile Bay, departed Yokosuka this morning, and the Stennis battle group is headed toward the Yellow Sea. In the meantime, we've sent more AC-130 gunships to southern Korea to patrol the waters off North and South Korea. We've also sent more B-lBs to Osan as a show of force — same with F-117s and F-15Es to Kunsan."
"Ambiguity," Scott said. "Too many flash points."
"What?" Hartwell asked.
"We haven't been standing firm with these countries. I think this drone operation has the potential to escalate into a military clash with the Chinese — we have all the ingredients."
"It's very much on the president's mind." Hartwell remembered Macklin's exact words. "But he's absolutely committed to the operation. He wants tangible evidence so he can confront Beijing and take action to destroy the weapons."
Scott glanced at Jackie before he continued. "Beijing may be attempting to remind the world that it remains a powerful, global military menace in an effort to gain leverage and status."
"Then again," she suggested, "the PRC may have a weapon that they believe can render our military impotent."
"And we're the tip of the spear," Scott said. "Again, what if one of the ships downs the drone?"
"Or us," Jackie interjected.
"And we don't have any proof of what happened?" Scott added.
"Well, the president and I have talked about another option, if one of the Chinese ships attacks the drone, or you, and we don't have proof."
Scott and Jackie patiently waited.
"If the drone is hit or downed, we'll explore the president's idea."
"That's it?" Dalton asked.
"That's it," Prost said in a voice that didn't invite any questions. "One step at a time."
"Okay."
"Try to get some rest." Prost got up and shoved his chair against the table. "I'll be out at the island with Craine."
Prost started for the door, and then turned around and smiled. "By the way, Jim Ebersole is personally overseeing the investigation into the terrorist attack on your Learjet."
His smile grew larger. "As you know, one cannot discuss the details of an ongoing FBI investigation — especially with the media. Jim will sit on this until everyone forgets about it."
"Good," Jackie said with a smile. "We don't need any ink."
"Be careful — don't take any unnecessary risks."
"Oh, we never do that," Jackie said with a smile.
Earlier in the day, after a carpenter had built and erected a new lattice screen at Scott's friend's home, Jackie and Scott had checked into the Miramar bachelor officers' quarters.
The warm afternoon was fading into a pleasant California evening when Jackie donned her flight suit. She picked up the rest of her gear, including a Canon 35mm camera and a Sony camcorder, then left her BOQ room. She walked to his room and quietly knocked on the open door. "Anybody home?"
"Come in."
"Hey, hotshot, ready for the Phantom gig?"
"Just about."
He zipped his flight suit and reached for his boots, then sat down in a chair. "I had a call from my connection at the Agency."
"The counterintelligence guru?"
"Mr. Counterintel," Scott said, slipping his feet into the flight boots. "For the past two years, he's been working on Chinese espionage cases with special agents from the NCIS."
"Did they have anything on Sergeant Wong?"
"They sure did. They'd been keeping an eye on him for about a year and a half. Wong was originally involved in the intel community — I think he was an oh-two-thirty-one intelligence specialist. At any rate, while he was stationed in Okinawa, he made two trips to Hong Kong and one to Beijing."
"I take it they weren't sightseeing trips."
"Hardly."
"Did they have a shadow on him?"
"Yep, but they never caught him in a compromising situation. His PRC recruiters, a man and a woman posing as a husband and wife, were very careful and conducted their business with Wong in a residence with guards at the entrance."
"Military guards?"
"They may have been, but they were wearing business suits."
"So they just continued to keep him under surveillance?"
"That's right, until he finally made a mistake."
"What mistake?"
"When he received orders to report to Camp Pendleton, Wong and his wife bought a very expensive home near Mission Viejo. They paid a hundred thirty thousand dollars down on the home and then paid cash for a new Chevy Tahoe."
Scott chuckled. "This, of course, after living in apartments and rental homes and driving used cars since he joined the Corps."
"They must've had a terrific run in the stock market."