On the bridge of Vella Gulf, the captain gave the order to get under way as he maneuvered to get out of the immediate area.
Twenty seconds later, the CIC watch standers detected a third ballistic missile rise above the horizon and track straight for the target site southeast of Taipei. Seconds later, another missile, this time an M-9, rose from a different site and tracked toward Vella Gulf.
A mile south of the Aegis cruiser a LAMPS Mark III helicopter crew was waiting to observe the ballistic missile tests. As the helo crew monitored their radios, it became alarmingly clear that the M-9 missile was streaking toward their ship. The pilot began easing the SH-60B Seahawk closer to Vella Gulf.
The cruiser continued to track the missiles, while the CIC watch standers transmitted satellite voice and track reports to the battle-group commander on Roosevelt, commander, Seventh Fleet, and the task-force commander in Japan.
When the three missiles targeted at the area closest to the cruiser began their descent, it became painfully obvious that one of the weapons was on a trajectory that coincided with the ship's exact position. This was now considered a deliberate and hostile attack.
After a frantic call from CIC, the captain ordered flank speed and a seventy-degree turn to starboard. A series of flash messages were quickly sent to the National Command Authority in Washington, detailing the attack, while the Aegis weapon system's battle diary recorded the launch and track for detailed evidence and reconstruction of the attack on Vella Gulf.
Ordering the LAMPS III helo away from his ship, the captain tried a tight high-speed turn at the same time the helicopter crew saw a bright flash and explosion in the designated target area. Seconds later, they saw another explosion in the same vicinity.
After confirming the Aegis information on the point of impact, the senior CIC officer didn't hesitate to transfer the primary Aegis responsibility to Leyte Gulf. The other cruiser immediately responded, since they were providing backup capability to place a protective missile umbrella over the entire fleet.
The senior CIC officer in Vella Gulf gave a frantic last-second warning over the 1MC. "Ballistic missile inbound! Brace for impact!"
The words were hardly out of his mouth before the supersonic missile slammed into the water eighty yards from Vella Gulf's port bow.
The copilot of the SH-60B gasped as the warship, traveling at flank speed, disappeared inside a huge cloud of spray, smoke, and flying debris. A shock wave violently rocked the helo as Vella Gulf emerged from the wall of water and rapidly slowed.
"That, my friend, was a close call," the pilot said as he added power and raced for the ship.
"If that had been a nuke," the copilot said, "the ship would be heading straight for Davy Jones's locker."
The pilot glanced at his shipmate. "If that had been a nuke, Saint Peter would be taking your ticket stub about now."
Chapter 24
It was late afternoon in the capital and chief port of Thailand when the stand-in Air Force One approached the sprawling megacity. Four navy F/A-18 fighters from USS Roosevelt accompanied the flying command post. The Hornets, with the assistance of air force tankers, had relieved the Hawaiian Air National Guard F-15s near Guam. After the president's plane was safely on the ground, the navy fighters would aerial-refuel from the KC-10 tankers and return to their carrier.
Having been invited to the cockpit of the E4B, Jackie and Scott had a commanding view of the famous Vietnam-era R and R destination for American servicemen. Located about twenty-five miles from the Gulf of Thailand, Bangkok was well known for its inner-city traffic congestion from taxis, private cars, motorcycles, buses, and various other forms of transportation.
"Look at this chaos," Scott said, scanning the wide array of crisscrossing streets and alleys.
"Yeah, Bangkok doesn't have a downtown. The streets and traffic veer off in every direction, then branch again and again."
Dalton studied the city. "It looks like it was designed by a committee that never collaborated with one another."
"Well, they obviously didn't form a planning or zoning committee."
"Definitely an ad hoc operation," Scott said, watching the copilot lower the landing gear. "We'd better get back to our seats and strap in."
They thanked the flight crew and left the cockpit.
"This place is enormous," Scott said.
"During the Vietnam War, Bangkok had a population of about one and a half million — today the population has skyrocketed to more than eight million people."
"How do you know so much about Bangkok?"
"I visited here once."
"Oh, I see."
A minute later, Air Force One turned on final and gently touched down on runway twenty-one-left at Bangkok's famous Don Muang International Airport. The crowded airport is one of the busiest destinations in Southeast Asia. The E-4B command-post aircraft followed an airport security car to a designated position on the ramp and stopped.
Two presidential limousines and a fleet of Secret Service Chevy Suburbans awaited the president and his closest aides. Due to the growing hostility between China and the United States, security was extremely tight and the airport was dotted with special agents posing as pilots, flight attendants, mechanics, and passengers.
Scott and Jackie remained on board the airplane while President Macklin and his vast entourage were greeted warmly by members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The tension over the strained China-U.S. relationship was evident from the grim faces on both sides.
After a brief ceremony with ASEAN leaders, the president would be going to his hotel, the Dusit Thani, site of the emergency meeting of ASEAN. Later he would attend a special Thai dinner performance.
Jackie looked out her window and saw China's new Air Force One, a specially configured Boeing 767-300ER. "Check Liu Fan-ding's new ride."
Scott leaned across her to take a look at the VIP jetliner. "How ironic that it's built in America."
Minutes after President Macklin and his aides departed Air Force One, Jackie and Scott were escorted to a Secret Service van and driven to the elegant high-rise hotel. A special agent greeted them in the lobby and then took them directly to their rooms at the Dusit Thani, long a favorite of Thailand's royalty and considered one of the best hotels in the Far East.
After they had refreshed themselves and changed clothes, Scott and Jackie went for a walk around the hotel's gardens and waterfall, then entered Lumpini Park and sat down on a bench.
"What do you think?" Jackie asked. "Can we pull it off?"
"With some luck. The Chinese make sure the same number of people who left for the Yangtze River cruise return to Shanghai. That could be a problem at the conclusion of the operation, presupposing we get Cheung out of Mianyang."
They fell silent, each pondering the risky plan.
"We'll come up with something," Scott said. "We always do when things get out of shape."
"That's what scares me. For once, I'd like to complete an assignment exactly as we planned it, no changes, no deviations, and no crashes."
Scott laughed. "Then it would be classified as a routine assignment, not a mission or operation."
"Thanks for enlightening me, Plato."
"Anytime." Scott stretched his arms across the back of the bench. "Let's table this for now and see the sites — how about it?"
"Sounds good to me."
"You've been here before, so I elect you as tour guide."