“Petty Officer Bonicella, where’s the RC-135?”
She looked past Stapler and smiled at Garcia.
If he was twenty years younger…. He might be in his fifties and eyeball orgies might be as far as his fantasies took him now, but there was little to make a man feel better than a young woman’s smile. Garcia nodded at the attractive brunette, and wondered how many hearts lay broken along her path through life. He looked away, his eyes skipping from one young sailor to the other. He smiled as he wondered how many heartbroken sailors she had cast onto the shoals of Sea Base during these past five months.
“It’s three hundred miles out on a bearing of zero-four-zero, sir,” she said.
Stapler turned back to Garcia.
“I heard,” Garcia said. Not only did she have the looks and moves to break men’s hearts, but she also had a voice like a siren song from a Greek tragedy.
“The C-130 will be launching in the next thirty minutes.”
Garcia turned his mind back to Combat. “Sorry, Stan. My mind was elsewhere.”
Stapler’s eyes lifted. “I can imagine where, sir,” he replied, smiling.
Garcia’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t understand.”
“Sorry, sir,” Stapler replied. “It is easy for the mind to wander in Combat. Lots of stuff going on…”
“Stan, there is a saying in the Navy that when you discover you’re digging yourself deeper into a hole, to quit digging. You said the C-130 is about to take off. Seems to me, they don’t take kindly to remaining on board long, do they.” Stapler smiled again. Twice in one day! What is Combat coming to? Garcia asked himself.
“Nope. They think Sea Base is an accident waiting to happen.”
Garcia crawled up into his chair. “They aren’t far wrong. If we lost the computers in Pollux, we’d have eight ships holding up Sea Base slowly going separate ways.”
“Let’s hope we don’t. Does the Skipper have any other questions? Otherwise…”
“Yes,” Garcia said as Stapler turned to leave. “Tell me the geopolitical situation since this morning. China back down yet? I presume no, or you’d have let me know. Talks still going on in Beijing?”
Stapler shook his head. “No, sir, to your first question and yes, sir, to your second. No big change. The Chinese are still slamming their fists on the table accusing us of sinking their submarine. The State and Defense Department negotiators are still trying to get the Chinese to focus on the growing crisis with Taiwan, and don’t seem to be having much success. Lots of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square.”
“Maybe this time they really do intend to use military force against what they view as a breakaway province.”
“I saw a secret Naval Intelligence message this morning that said the Chinese know the North Koreans sunk the submarine.”
Garcia crossed his legs. “Then why all this bullshit?” Stapler shrugged. “I’m just a lonely old Surface Warfare Officer stuck on board something that’s supposed to be the warfare platform of the future, Skipper.”
“Stan, you’re in a good mood this morning. Everything been going wrong?”
“No, sir,” Stapler replied with a tight smile. “I think if you take the message at face value, it means the Chinese have no intention of invading Taiwan or fighting us. They’re just using the submarine sinking to remind the world of their position and to flex their ever-growing military might. Flexing it shows the world what they could do, if they wanted to.”
Garcia thought about what Stapler had said. He tried to recall an instance during these past five months when Stapler had been as open and forthcoming. He couldn’t. “I hope you’re right. If you’re not, then we’re going to have one hell of a fight on our hands.”
“We would if we were on the ground. The Pacific Ocean is our friend for this confrontation. They have to come hundreds of miles to reach us.”
“It’s not us they’re after. It’s Taiwan.”
“Could be right. Could be they’re not after Taiwan. Could be they’re going to teach their irate teenager neighbor — North Korea — a lesson.”
“Why you say that?”
“Imagery is showing Chinese troops massing along the border with North Korea. All of this other stuff could be for show, or could be about showing the world they’re a world power now. But it could be an Oriental feint and North Korea is their true target.”
“They did that during the Korean War in the fifties, Stan. It was so they could join the North Koreans in fighting us and the Allies.”
“ONI mentioned that possibility, but discounted it. The message goes on to say the Director of National Intelligence has information that the Chinese are using this as an opportunity to resolve the Taiwan issue.”
“The Taiwan legislature is supposed to vote on independence this week. If they pass it, then I would submit DNI is right, Stan. The Chinese have been warning about that for decades, threatening military action if Taiwan ever voted for formal independence. China has its reputation to uphold for following through on its threats.”
“Taiwan hasn’t voted for it yet. It has never voted for independence. I think they just like to tweak the nose of their mainland cousins.”
“Their mainland cousins, as you call them, don’t have a sense of humor about this idea. They have staked their national honor on Taiwan being a breakaway province that will someday be restored to the People’s Republic. You are right about them never voting for independence. Taiwan has always tiptoed around the issue while promising its people that eventually they’d be independent.”
Stapler shrugged. “Don’t know why we’re involved in this, but then it isn’t in my job description.” He changed the subject. “I will have the watch bring you the Intelligence Board so you can read the message. ONI believes the Chinese are just beating their drums. If Taiwan fails to vote for indepen-dence — for whatever reason — then ONI says there are indications the Chinese may use the opportunity to resolve their North Korean issue.”
“Others disagree with ONI.”
“What do you think, Skipper? I think our Intel weenies have a point this time.”
“You could be right, Stan. Meanwhile, our concern is Sea Base and the tasks Admiral Holman has assigned us.”
“Aye, aye, sir.” He turned to leave. “Captain, I know it matters little if they’re right about the independence issue. Just because the Director of National Intelligence believes the Chinese are serious doesn’t mean she’s right. The President thinks the Chinese are blowing smoke and just using the occasion to remind Taiwan that they are still serious about reunification. I’ll side with the Prez in this instance.”
“Let’s hope we can convince them to be less serious.”
Thomas nudged Willard, nodding in the direction of the female pilot heading their way. “Here comes the DETCO,” Thomas said, using the Air Force acronym for Detachment Commander. “I thought you said the real commander was going to fly aboard, Chief. How much longer?”
“Watch your lip, Sergeant. We are proud members of the United States Air Force, we are enlisted, and we don’t get involved in officer shit.”
“Shit, Chief…”
“Lou, how’s the replacement aircraft holding up?” Willard asked, his eyes never leaving the approaching Major Johnson. “It’s holding up now just as well as it was holding up yesterday and last week, Chief. You trying to change the subject?”
“Of course. That’s why they pay us E-9s, to keep you young wannabes out of trouble and from talking too much.”
“High Pace’s aircraft…”
“It’s Captain Walters to you, Sergeant Thomas. Let the officers call each other by their call signs.” A couple of seconds later, Willard added, “Besides, it’s Fast Pace — not High Pace, and if you’re going to try to ingratiate yourself with the officers, then at least get their call signs right.”