“Third, I’m flying specialized 3D printers to Australia to make any advanced tech or weapons we might need, but we don't have a way to get them into China. The U.S. government knows just how capable the printers are; there’s no way they’ll ever let me try to smuggle them into China. Besides, they draw a lot of electricity, so the Chinese might be able to figure out what they are just from looking at the huge energy bills we’re running up. So, I need to keep the printers somewhere secure and I need a way to resupply what we need from them while we’re in China.”
Ralph nodded. “Transport and technology. That's what your request boils down to.”
“Yeah, that’s about the size of it.” It was time to show how knowledgeable I was. “I know you and your spies have figured out some way of getting supplies past the Chinese naval blockade.”
Ralph smiled. “Every Chinese government official with half a brain knows that we have figured out how to beat their blockade. You just have to look out at all the ships leaving Darwin harbor to know that.”
I nodded. “True. But I know that whatever it is, you can use it to get into China just as easily.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Whatever the method is, it has to be long-range. I've talked with the best Pentagon officials money can buy. Their satellites see a lot of ships leaving Darwin, and a lot of ships pulling into port in Taiwan, but not too many between Darwin and Taiwan. But they're seeing the same ships leaving Darwin at about the right time and arriving in Taiwan at about the right time.”
“How interesting.”
“Knowing you, there must be some extremely clever logistics going on behind the scenes. Obviously, that’s why you’re here. When Taiwan needed someone to cobble together a miracle, they picked the man who took down UPS.”
Stopping our stroll for a moment to look out at the harbor, Ralph said with obvious pride, “Duan sent me down here to create the world’s largest military supply chain. And I have. I sleep about an hour or two a night and don’t feel tired. If Taiwan pulls off a miracle and wins the war, it will be because it had the supplies to keep fighting when no one thought it was possible.”
He turned his gaze on me. “You can see that we’re shipping from here. Everyone knows that. For damn sure the Chinese know it and they’re still trying to figure out how.” He pointed north. “But to get men and materiel to the battlefield, China just has to ship war materiel from Quanzhou across the Taiwan Strait. Ninety miles. I'm sending our stuff about two-thousand miles to Taiwan. About twenty-two times further.”
Ralph started walking again. “Our contacts in the American military told President Duan about your plan. Duan told me all about it well before this meeting. He had the same thought I did.”
“We are working miracles to keep Taiwan supplied and bring whatever men and equipment the U.S. can offer to the battlefield. But we're never going to win if everything we need is two-thousand miles from the battlefield and everything the People's Liberation Army needs is ninety miles.”
Pointing a finger at me, Ralph said, “I — we — want you to make those ninety miles feel like two-thousand miles to the People’s Liberation Army. That’s the most important thing you can do to help us. If you can do that, we’ll smuggle a tank division into China for you and hand over the keys to Duan Enterprises's laboratory of goodies. The question is, can you screw up the Chinese supply chain that much?”
I had come way too far to say maybe. “Yes.”
“Then welcome to the war. Have your people and equipment here by noon three days from now.”
“Done.” It would take some emergency flights and a lot of black market arms purchases, but a bottomless pile of money would fix all those problems. Something else for my accountant to cluck about.
Ralph started walking back toward the hotel. “We’ll also throw in some intel support. One of my techies from Lightning who got seconded into the Taiwanese military when the war started.”
“A hacker?”
Shrugging, Ralph said, “Pretty much, yeah. And he will have some degree of access to the Taiwanese intel network.”
Arching an eyebrow, I asked, “Some degree?”
For the first time in the conversation, Ralph looked tired. “That’s not really my department. Look, we appreciate you helping us, Ding, and we’re going to do what we can for you. But understand that you’re volunteering to go into the lion’s den. The People’s Republic is locked down. If they capture you, you’ll be lucky if they kill you quick. We need your help, but we’re not betting the war that you won’t break when they torture you.”
A chill went down my spine at the thought, though it had occurred to me before. I made myself say, “Fair enough.”
Ralph leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m going to let you in on a little secret. We set up something similar to what you have in mind right before the war started. Two days after we got our guys in the country, the Chinese captured them. Last we heard, they were being sent to some gulag in the Gobi Desert for extensive interrogation. We learned the lesson: the Chinese have penetrated our military and intelligence networks. We’re supporting your effort because you’re an outside actor. The number of Taiwanese who will know about our cooperation with your effort will be less than five.”
We were nearing the end of the park’s path. My stomach knotted with apprehension. Until now, the whole thing had seemed like a normal business deal. I had recruited team members, figured out logistics, laid out a vision. But somewhere off to the north, a war raged on. And I would be a part of it very soon.
Ralph must have read my mind.
“It’s a good fight, Ding. Good versus evil, light versus dark, dynamism versus stagnation. You’re a smart guy and you've done well. You can buy anything you want. But you can't buy honor. Not with dollars anyway. Honor requires putting your ass on the line for principle, for the right thing. This is your chance to do that, to prove to everyone who comes after you that you are a man of honor.”
“I know.”
Straight-faced, Ralph added, “And after the war is done I’ll make sure you get a percent off all Lightning parcel shipping.”
Laughing, I said, “It better be ten for Merlin Printing.”
“Only if we win.”
“Then tell your accountants to start adjusting their profit estimates. We're going to win this damn thing.”
We crossed the street for the hotel. As I opened the door, Ralph said in parting, “Get your men and equipment down here. Your transportation will be ready in one week.”
Chapter 4
My first encounter with the men came six days later. Douglas had managed to assemble our team with twelve hours to spare thanks to my hastily-assembled fleet of private jets. I decided the best way to introduce everyone was over drinks in my penthouse suite at the Crowne Plaza.
Within the ornate living room, sitting and standing around the various couches and chairs were Douglas, me, and the six recruits. I had ordered massive amounts of room service and hard liquor for them, two luxuries that they would not be seeing again for a period somewhere between a few weeks and eternity, depending on how the operation went.
The recruits looked me over and I scanned their faces. Uniformly hard, uniformly lined, and uniformly blank. Poker faces, I thought.
Douglas, being the only one everyone knew, handled the introductions. “I’ve told you all why you’re here. Only problem is I told you all a slightly different version of the truth. So here’s the gospel from your old Uncle James.”
He gestured to me. “This well-tailored man you see before you is the boss, Ding Cortez, CEO of Merlin Printing. He runs the show. But he’s no soldier. That’s why he requisitioned my crusty arse to advise him in leading you all. Think of me as your priest and Mr. Cortez as God.”