Arrogant Americans. How did they become the most powerful country? I would have thought stupidity was a limiting factor.
Then NATPAC started to think about bigger things. He had set up something important in that facility. He needed it to be a part of Act 2. He always had it in the back of his head. In Act 1, China would slowly start to amass an absurd amount of foreign reserves by keeping its currency artificially inflated. China already had several trillion dollars sitting around. The fun part began in Act 2. All of China’s dollars did not just need to sit there. China could start buying assets around the world. It would start by owning the debt of various countries, including the US. But it could start buying foreign companies. In fact, we could buy important foreign companies, NATPAC thought. He found himself running it through his mind often. “With our trillions, we could buy American telecommunications and technology companies that developed the latest innovations. We could buy companies that managed American and European ports. We could buy American food processing companies. We could buy oil, gas, and mining companies in both Europe and America. We could acquire stakes in their banks. We could acquire their real estate, even in expensive places like Manhattan. We can even acquire their movie theater companies,” he thought. Of course, “The Chinese Government” would play no known role in this. Companies, often managed by a former military officer or communist party leader, would make these acquisitions. Chinese banks would support them, however, and finance the acquisitions. The government reserves could fund the banks. Few people actually knew one of the more interesting facts about the corporate world. But it never ceased to amaze NATPAC. If one were to look at Forbes’ list of 10 largest companies in the world — based on factors such as revenue, net income, and total assets — three were Chinese banks. NATPAC sat back and continued thinking. Act 2 was brilliant. China could slowly buy out many of its opponents’ assets. Soon they will all be working for us, he thought. Eventually most Americans will work for Chinese companies that are closely watched or controlled by the Chinese government. They are now used to the thought that many Chinese workers are putting products together for them in Chinese factories. Soon they will be putting together products or providing services to generate income for China. The reversal will be monumental.
I must be a part of it. We have to make sure the spy doesn’t figure out about that base.
Just then his door opened. SLOTHMAN walked in, looking jumpy.
“What’s up?” NATPAC asked.
“I think we made a breakthrough.” SLOTHMAN replied.
“I don’t know what I would do without you SLOTHMAN,” NATPAC smiled, “what is it?”
“I’ve penetrated deeper than I ever have before. I’m right in their systems.”
“I’m going to nominate you for the Hero’s Medal.” NATPAC quipped. Of course SLOTHMAN would never get the Hero’s Medal — you had to run and shoot in a battle to get that. NATPAC had heard of the soldiers that received it and their battlefield actions had sounded like fanatical lunacy to him. He heard the Americans had an equivalent medal called the Medal of Honor and the British had something called the Victoria Cross that sounded like China’s Hero’s medal. NATPAC knew he and his men would never get such an award. He did not really care either. He was getting his reward in another way.
“What did you figure out? Any new information?” NATPAC asked.
“I have to finish setting it up. A couple more hours and I’ll have something.”
“OK. I’m going home soon, so call me there if you find anything that can help us.”
SLOTHMAN walked out of NATPAC’s office with what looked to be an extra spring in his step. NATPAC still did not feel comfortable. “A couple of hours” for SLOTHMAN could translate to tomorrow evening.
NATPAC grabbed his phone and called the usual number in Beijing. Despite the late hour, he will be in the office as well, NATPAC thought. He put the phone on speaker because he was too tired to lift the handle up to his ear. The phone rang several times at the other end. Then a voice answered.
“Yes?”
“I’m getting worried. Did they catch him yet?”
“Not yet. They are patrolling.”
“Do you think this operative knows about that facility?”
“You’re the one that’s supposed to figure that out. Did you?”
“Not yet. Did they increase security around the facility just in case?”
“Yes. But they are also spread out because they don’t know where he’s trying to go.”
“Can we launch the other mission we talked about?”
“You mean the Snatch mission?”
“Yes. Can our friends snatch that person they were watching? Maybe we can get that person to tell us who this spy is, where he is going, what they all know, and anything else. They need to move fast and get that person to the North quickly.”
“OK. I’ll tell them to conduct the Snatch mission right now. Luckily this is something they are actually good at.”
“Yeah. They can be useful for something. Call me when it’s done.”
CHAPTER 32
Tom was kneeling at the edge of the woods. A long dirt road stretched out in front of him. Past him it also went as far back as the eye could see. Tom was at Waypoint 1. The plan was to get to this road and follow it at the edge of the woods until it reached a particular ridge. The ridge led to a smaller dirt path that went directly to the base.
For now Tom sat and watched the road through his night vision goggles. He had avoided that last KPA patrol with the zig zag run. In fact, he had veered a bit more to his right to get away.
Before moving up this road, Tom wanted to observe it. He wanted to see if there were any patrols on it or if anyone else was observing the road. He was looking for anyone trying to see him walking along it.
Up ahead, about 1,500 feet away Tom could see a vehicle patrol. A military car was driving towards him. On it a large, bright light was shining on the woods. It was shining on the side of the woods he was on. Around the vehicle, several KPA soldiers were walking on foot. The group was moving very slowly.
Strange that they are just giving away their position like that.
Tom took a moment to think to himself. If he were trying to find an operative, he would try to do it quietly. Someone can see a light and then maneuver around it. The smart thing to do would have been to have people quietly sitting and watching for movement along the road without a light.
Suddenly Tom’s earpiece started talking.
“I hope you are going to avoid that patrol.”
Tom whispered into his microphone.
“Affirmative. I am observing them right now. I will evade them once they are within 1,000 feet of my position. Over.” It helped that the Command Room could see what he was seeing. But it also felt strange sometimes when they commented on what they saw in front of him Tom thought.
He looked through the scope on his M4 at the team ahead. Now they looked like they were standing around. Their flashlight was large and bright and focused on the section of forest in front of them. One of the men had what looked like a radio up to his ear. He seemed to be nodding. Tom tried to look more carefully. Most of the soldiers did not even seem to be looking for anything. They were standing around. Maybe one was actually looking at the forest.
What are they doing?