The Scorpion's Gate (33 page)
who looked east. Brian slipped on his polarized sunglasses just as the flying wedge of American F-35 Enforcers appeared from out of the sun. He swung the telescope around and focused in on the aircraft. They were smooth, with no external missiles, bombs, or fuel tanks. As he focused the lenses, missiles shot forward from inside the aircraft. To the north, Iranian MiG-29s appeared over the ships. To the west, the first wave of Bahraini rockets soared up from the MLRSes near the beach. Brian looked north again. Almost simultaneously, the Enforcers’ missiles hit several ships, the rockets from the beach smashed into other ships, and Iranian aircraft exploded in midair. Above and behind the Enforcers, a line of Air Force Raptors were firing on the MiGs. As he tried to make out Raptors, Brian saw an Enforcer explode, hit by a missile from one of the MiGs. Then the windows shook as something blew up at the mouth of the harbor. A ship had hit one of the mines.
“I guess the Iranians lacked the element of surprise,” Ibrahim said to Douglas, “thanks to you.”
“General, I’d say it’s beginning to look like maybe two of the three scorpions have been stopped at the gate,” Douglas replied.
From behind Ibrahim, another rocket volley shot up from the beach. “By the way, Brian, the Shi’a imam from their big mosque is on the beach urging on our troops, along with our Crown Prince,” the general said, giving himself a thumbs-up.
Sweeping west from behind the bank tower, Douglas saw the contrails of another group of Enforcers and Raptors speeding west. Iranian MiGs flew after them, firing missiles. Douglas turned to General Ibrahim. “What Churchill would have given for a view like this over London during the Battle of Britain!”
“May we fare as well as he did,” the general replied.
“Inshallah.”
“Inshallah.”
The windows shook again, and below them, a wing of the Bahraini palace exploded.
Meanwhile, off the coast, the bulk of the Iranian force was heading toward Islamyah’s beaches. Hovercraft carrying light armored vehicles and trucks flew just above the water and then just above the sand as they came ashore. Above Islamyah’s beaches, Iran’s MiGs and Sukhois were dogfighting again with the American- and Britishorigin fighters that Islamyah could still get to fly. What had been the Royal Saudi Air Force was significantly smaller in number now because of cannibalizing for parts, and the Iranians were winning the air combat by putting more fighters up than Islamyah could, even over its own territory.
Behind the hovercraft came rehabilitated amphibious landing craft, disgorging troops into the surf. Islamyah’s forces rained artillery and tank fire down on the landing zone with deadly results, but some Iranian troops were getting ashore and off the beaches. Islamyah had more shoreline to defend than Bahrain and so the defense forces were more spread out. Iranian special forces employing mini-subs and semisubmersibles were placing commandos ashore in port areas, their goal to seize control of facilities for Iranian ferries and Ro-Ros to dock.
It was not going well for Islamyah. The general in charge of the Protectors in the Eastern Province, in a bunker in Dhahran, was beginning to think he would have no choice but to order his units to fall back to regroup against the Iranians, when he received reports that several Iranian troop-carrying ships had just exploded offshore. Seconds later, Islamyah’s AWACS reported that another wave of Iranian fighters coming across the Gulf had also erupted.
What was going on? Islamyah’s forces were not responsible for this, the general knew. There were no solid radar images of any new Air Force units arriving. Who was killing the Iranians?
Then the Iranian flagship
Zaros
was reported hit. In his Dhahran bunker, the general turned to the chief of his battle staff, who grinned and said, “I just picked up their comms, sir. It’s Enforcers. Raptors.”
Zaros
was reported hit. In his Dhahran bunker, the general turned to the chief of his battle staff, who grinned and said, “I just picked up their comms, sir. It’s Enforcers. Raptors.”
What was it the Americans said in those movies? The cavalry was coming?
The general nodded to himself. Yes. The cavalry had come. Al-Hamdu Lillah.
17FEBRUARY 22
Security Center of the Republic
Riyadh, Islamyah
“
P
lay the tape,” General Khalid ordered.
P
lay the tape,” General Khalid ordered.
All television channels in the country switched to an image of a plain green flag flying against a blue sky. A martial song played in the background. Above the music, a voice said, “And now to speak to the nation, Abdullah bin Rashid, Chairman of the national Shura.”
Abdullah, dressed in formal robes, stood against a green background. The camera zoomed in on his face. “Although you have not selected me, it is my task now to lead this nation until you choose one who will lead us. We who are members of the Shura have been chosen only by those who fought to unseat the usurpers who stole the wealth of our nation for their one family.
“But the day will come this year when you will choose those who will lead us. Let no one stop you, brothers and sisters, from making that choice.
“When you choose, think about the future. Think about how we
Arabs can restore our greatness, how we can contribute to the world’s progress. We must contribute more than just the energy from fossils millions of years old. Once again, we must turn the power of our minds to math and science, to medicine and engineering, to learn to unlock the secrets of what Allah has given to us. It will take tapping the skills of all our people, men and women.
Arabs can restore our greatness, how we can contribute to the world’s progress. We must contribute more than just the energy from fossils millions of years old. Once again, we must turn the power of our minds to math and science, to medicine and engineering, to learn to unlock the secrets of what Allah has given to us. It will take tapping the skills of all our people, men and women.
“If this republic can survive, we can look forward to a day when the peace of Allah may prosper in this world. When weapons of mass destruction will themselves be destroyed. When we unlock Allah’s other gifts, to replace the ancient fossil fuels that Allah provided to the world. Allah placed them in our land, providing humanity with the fuel for the phase of emergence, which is now passing.
“To hasten those days, we will take leadership. Today we destroy the long-range missiles in our nation, missiles that one day might have carried weapons of mass destruction. We have brought the diplomatic representatives of many nations to our deserts to see this destruction. We invite international inspection, anywhere, anytime. And we call upon Iran, Israel, and other nations to follow our example.
“Today we invest two billion euros, the first of a much greater amount, to create the Future Energies Institute here in Riyadh, an international center to develop and deploy new methods of electrical and other power beyond the fossil era. Here, too, we invite the international community to join us in funding and participating in open discovery. Until we help the world emerge from the fossil era, we shall share our oil on the world’s market, open to all to buy, at the rate of one percent of our known reserves every year. No more, no less. Ten percent of our revenues will go to the Future Energies Institute. If anyone uses force to seek more of our assets, all of our oil facilities will self-destruct. Thus, there is no point in invading our lands.
“And we must recognize that just as Allah has placed this special reserve in our land, we hold a special responsibility to Allah to preserve and protect the Two Holy Mosques he has also placed within our borders. These places are sacred to almost two billion Muslims. Muslims of all communities, Sunni and Shi’a, for there is no one right community of Islam. And our government must protect them all and support no single view.
“You, in turn, must protect our government and our nation. Especially now, in this time of transition. There are those who may be tempted to invade our territory, to drain our sands of the fuels below. You can scare these scorpions away. You can demonstrate your support of the revolution. March to the Red Sea, line it with thousands of patriots and believers. Show that you are ready to sacrifice to preserve our nation. Members of the Shura are organizing transportation in every city. After this broadcast, join me. March for Islamyah.” The camera zoomed out and now showed dozens of men and women on either side of Abdullah.
“You will not march alone. Let me introduce you to the new Shura Council. Here is my brother, Ahmed, a man of medicine, who now is my right hand seeking to heal this nation and who has developed this plan. Here is General Khalid, who leads the Protectors. Here Fatima Khaldan, a scientist, who has returned to her native land from...”
When the introductions ended, the screen dissolved to an image of General Khalid and Ahmed sitting side by side. Khalid spoke. “After he taped that speech for broadcast today, Abdullah was killed by enemies of the revolution. Now potential enemies lurk off our coasts. Our forces are scaring off Persians in the east. As Abdullah asked, you must be our forces in the west, on the Red Sea. Join with Dr. Rashid as he carries the body of his martyred brother to the sea.”
Aboard the USS
George H.W. Bush
George H.W. Bush
Red Sea
“
S
ir, we have to make a decision. Do we make the landing on the east coast or west coast in the morning, in Egypt or Islamyah?” General Moore, the commander of U.S. Central Command, asked the Secretary.
S
ir, we have to make a decision. Do we make the landing on the east coast or west coast in the morning, in Egypt or Islamyah?” General Moore, the commander of U.S. Central Command, asked the Secretary.
“Have the Iranians achieved a beachhead?” Secretary Conrad asked General Moore.
“A limited one near Jubail, but the aircraft from the
Reagan,
the Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait are pounding it pretty hard. And it looks like their invasion of Bahrain has been repulsed altogether,” the general said.
Reagan,
the Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait are pounding it pretty hard. And it looks like their invasion of Bahrain has been repulsed altogether,” the general said.
“They weren’t invading Bahrain, General,” Secretary Conrad insisted. “That was just a feint, probably.”
“Fucking Adams! I knew it,” Kashigian said to the Secretary. “But we can still claim the need to go in to protect the oil from a secondwave Iranian attack... and from the chaos in Islamyah. There is definitely chaos there. They’re changing leaders by the day.”
Conrad exhaled, loudly. “Maybe. What about the Chinese troops and the nukes?”
“Well, the two Chink carriers are definitely heading home. The Ro-Ros have docked in Karachi, where they seem to be delivering military vehicles to Pakistan, along with a bunch of military advisers and technicians,” General Moore read from his message traffic.
“So no Chinese threat,” Conrad muttered at Kashigian.
“Mr. Secretary, ever since that speech this morning by the Shura fella, we have been getting reports of movement toward the beaches,
the landing areas we planned. Lemme show you the feed we’re getting from Global Hawk of what we call Nebraska Beach, or landing area Alpha Two.”
the landing areas we planned. Lemme show you the feed we’re getting from Global Hawk of what we call Nebraska Beach, or landing area Alpha Two.”
The image that appeared on the large screen showed a coastal area, then zoomed in to show a beach, then in farther to show people massing in groups.
“I don’t see any tanks, artillery. What are they armed with? Zoom in more,” Conrad blustered at the general.
“Mr. Secretary, that’s just it. They’re not armed. They’re civilians. And they’re, like, holding hands and praying. Every so many yards there’s some imam with them.”
The secretary had walked up to the screen, trying to peer down onto the beach. He turned back to Kashigian. “Ron, what do you
make of...Ron, stop reading the goddamn news clips. I have to make a decision.”
Kashigian walked over to the Secretary, carrying the newly arrived news summary. “This just came in. Front page on the
New York Journal.
A story written by that Delmarco reporter. It says although her laptop was missing from her car when she was found, it had automatically backed up her draft onto their server.” He handed the Secretary the paper. Conrad’s eyes widened as he read. He seemed to pale. “This is scandalous, it’s libelous, it’s untrue lies.”
New York Journal.
A story written by that Delmarco reporter. It says although her laptop was missing from her car when she was found, it had automatically backed up her draft onto their server.” He handed the Secretary the paper. Conrad’s eyes widened as he read. He seemed to pale. “This is scandalous, it’s libelous, it’s untrue lies.”
“Sir?” the general asked, confused by the exchange between the civilians.
The Secretary of Defense looked down at his subordinate. “You fucked this all up. Nothing is working.”
“Don’t blame me. You gave me orders to set things up so you and your Saudi friends could get back in. Well, this was the best thing
that anyone could come up with. It doesn’t matter what the facts are, Henry, we need to invade!” Kashigian yelled at his boss. “We
just use the Big Lie. It’s worked before.”
Henry Conrad walked closer to the screen showing the image of the beaches lined with civilians, praying. “Don’t you see? There are
no nuclear weapons there. There are no Iranian invaders there.
There are no Chinese. And the chaos you promised me has turned into a fucking prayer rally! Do you think we can tell our constituency back home that we bombed a
prayer rally
?”
prayer rally
?”
“Sir?” General Moore asked again.
“Fine, fine,” Ron Kashigian said. He turned to General Moore.
“The Secretary has decided to go ahead with the planned exercise with Egypt. But he will be returning to Washington to take care of
something that has just come up. So we need a COD flight to Cairo, where the 747 is parked.”
“Yes, sir,” the CinC replied.
“And I’ll need onward flight reservations from Cairo to Geneva for me,” Kashigian added.
Command Post, Revolutionary Guards Navy Base
Bandar Abbas, Iran
“
W
e can mount another wave, expand the beachhead,” the Iranian general said, looking up from the map.
W
e can mount another wave, expand the beachhead,” the Iranian general said, looking up from the map.
“My brethren in Tehran say that our air force chief is refusing. He thinks his losses are already too high, unacceptable,” the cleric said, as though he were commenting on the weather.
“We can’t just leave them there,” the general insisted. “Oh, yes we can. We left many more Pasdaran and Basiji in Iraqi
jails for over a decade. Many more,” the cleric said, gathering up his papers. “That war failed. So did this one. Accept it.”
jails for over a decade. Many more,” the cleric said, gathering up his papers. “That war failed. So did this one. Accept it.”
“But we didn’t have nuclear weapons then,” the general said, moving to block the cleric’s exit.
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