Lawrence A. Colby
The Black Scorpion Pilot
DEDICATION
For my family, who said it could be done
A portion of the proceeds from The Ford Stevens Military-Aviation Thriller Series will go to these two great veteran organizations:
Team Rubicon Global
www.teamrubiconglobal.org
Team Rubicon Global provides veterans around the world with opportunities to serve others in the wake of disasters. Learn how you can support our efforts to build a global veteran community that provides assistance to disaster victims.
The Headstrong Project
http://getheadstrong.org/
Headstrong Project is a nonprofit partnered with Weill Cornell Medical Center to fund and develop comprehensive mental healthcare programs to treat Iraq and Afghanistan veterans free of cost, stigma, and bureaucracy.
PUBLISHER’S NOTE
All members, former members, and employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) are required to submit their writings for prepublication review. The prepublication review is the process to determine that information proposed for public release contains no protected information, is consistent with established Department of Defense policies, and conforms to standards as determined by the department leadership.
Author Lawrence A. Colby, whose career for DoD entailed real-world operations, abided by the policy. His manuscript was reviewed by defense officials in Washington, DC, and returned to him after an in-depth and extensive seventeen-month review. All edits that DoD determined were necessary are complete. The book is aligned with DoD for fiction publication, and all comments related to national security matters have been changed without protest from the author. The review does not constitute endorsement of his books by the United States Department of Defense.
This book has been approved by formal process at the Defense Office of Prepublication and Security Review.
We thank you for your understanding and look forward to your enjoyment of this book.
EPIGRAPH
WE CANNOT CHOOSE OUR EXTERNAL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE HOW WE RESPOND TO THEM.
GLOBAL SMARTPHONE FACTS
Number of smartphone users worldwide:
2014—1.57 billion
2017—2.32 billion
2020—5.0 billion
Number of smartphone users in the United States:
2014—171 million
2017—225 million (100 million use the iPhone)
2020—285 million
Population of China: 1.37 billion
Connected to the internet: 688 million, more than half; more than 90 percent of users access the web by a smartphone
Largest group: College students and citizens under the age of nineteen
Activated smartphones in China: 780 million+, a penetration rate of about 59 percent of the population
Brand: iPhones account for 16.8 percent of those smartphones
China has more iPhones than any other country in the world.
LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS
Michelle Boyd
Missile Analyst, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
Calvin Burns
Principal Deputy Director, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
He Chen
Lieutenant General, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China
Jason Cohen
Executive Assistant to Deputy Director Calvin Burns, DIA
Robert Dooley
Intelligence Officer, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
Jeanie Heller
Cyber Analyst, Department of the Air Force, Washington, DC
Dai Jian
Captain, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China
Chung Kang
Captain, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China
Bai Keung
First Lieutenant, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China, Aide-de-Camp
Mike Klubb
Missile Analyst, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
Wu Lee
Pilot, Captain, People’s Liberation Army Air Force, China
Emily Livingston
Economist, International Monetary Fund, UK Citizen
Michael Miller
Woodloch Pines Resort, Social Staff, and Resident of Hawley, Pennsylvania
Lance Monterey
US Consulate Officer, US State Department, India
Tiffany “Pinky” Pinkerton
Captain, US Air Force, B-1B Lancer Copilot, Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, South Dakota
Samuel Price
Secretary of Defense, Pentagon, Washington, DC
Ravi Rahul
Group Captain, Indian Air Force
Mark Savona
China Aircraft Analyst, Defense Intelligence Agency, Washington, DC
Ford Stevens
Captain, US Air Force, B-1B Lancer Pilot, Ellsworth AFB, Rapid City, South Dakota
Zeke Ziehmann
Colonel, US Air Force, Diego Garcia B-2 Spirit Detachment Commander
PROLOGUE
The deputy director of the Defense Intelligence Agency sat at his desk reviewing the morning Early Bird News when his assistant, Jason Cohen, knocked on the door.
Though hesitant to bother the boss first thing in the morning, the young man spoke first. “Morning, Mr. Burns. We got a bit of a problem right outta the gate,” he said.
“What is it, Jason?” said Deputy Director Calvin Burns, looking above his cheater glasses on the edge of his nose. “Sorry, I should have said good morning to you. Yes, Jason, good morning.”
Jason was still cordial. “A few months ago, you had me bring up to your office a missile analyst from downstairs. Employee named Mike Klubb.”
“Hmm.”
“Do you remember him?”
“Absolutely. Yup. Why do you ask?”
“Well, Mr. Burns. He’s here. Says it’s urgent. Something he has to talk to you about, a problem from the past. He won’t talk to me about it, says I don’t have a need to know. Clearance thing. Says he’ll only talk to you. Said you would understand?”
Calvin sat back in his leather chair, rubbed his chin, and thought of Mike. Why would he come back here? the deputy thought. “Here? In the waiting room?” The deputy looked at the wall of red digital clocks that told world time zones lining his office.
“Yes,” Jason answered.
“OK, send him in,” Burns instructed.
Mike Klubb walked in, more like rolled in, looking like he’d gained another few pounds since the last time the deputy saw him. His disheveled, white, collared shirt was untucked a bit in the rear, his black necktie was a wee bit too short, and his scuffed brown leather shoes had apparently never seen polish. “Hi, hello, Mr. Deputy Burns, sir.”
“Hello, Mike. How are you? What brings you back up this way?” asked the deputy, coming around from his desk to greet him.