Tiger's Claw: A Novel (32 page)

“Exactly, Secretary Kevich,” Gao replied.

“What about the P-8 Poseidon patrol plane and the Coast Guard helicopters?” Phoenix asked. “Did he give the orders to have them shot down as well?”

“Unfortunately, President Phoenix, he did,” Gao replied without hesitation. “The patrol plane and the first helicopter were downed by an experimental high-power microwave weapon called ‘Silent Thunder’ mounted aboard the aircraft carrier
Zhenyuan
that temporarily cripples electronic signals. It is similar to weapons employed by the United States and Russia. Zhou was told that the P-8 aircraft had the capability of launching antiship cruise missiles, and he immediately ordered it to be brought down. The second helicopter was shot down by a carrier-based fighter because your helicopter was out of range of Silent Thunder. Zhou is plainly insane, Mr. President.”

“This is extraordinary,” Phoenix said, shaking his head in utter shock. “How in the world can anyone trust China ever again, Mr. Gao?”

“The heart of the matter here, sir, is countries who claim they have the right to explore for resources in the South Sea, and the militarization of the South Sea,” Gao said. “The issue of which country is permitted to explore for oil, gas, and other minerals in the South Sea is important for China. It is not fair for one or more countries deciding on its own to explore for oil and gas without consulting the other nations who claim that right. Similarly, countries who place armed troops on disputed islands in the South Sea without consulting others, or who used armed aircraft and warships to patrol within a nation’s territory, are not right and such actions lead to distrust, hostility, and conflict. If the practice is not stopped, we could see an arms race in the South Sea on a massive scale.”

“What is China’s position, Mr. Gao?” Phoenix asked.

“Our position, sir, is that all the waters and islands within the first island chain belong to China,” Gao said matter-of-factly. He correctly interpreted Phoenix’s and Page’s exasperated expressions. “However, unlike Zhou Qiang, there are those of us who understand that many other nations claim this territory as well under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Our claim is based on historical and legal fact, which no one seems to care about or wants to discuss. But notwithstanding Zhou’s actions, there are many leaders in China who are patient and confident that a solution will be found. All must understand that hostile aircraft and vessels inside the two-hundred-kilometer economic exclusion zone represent a serious threat to all nations and must be kept away.”

“The UNCLOS treaty allows for unrestricted passage of any ship or aircraft outside of a country’s territorial waters—that’s twelve nautical miles,” Ann Page said. “China is a signatory to that treaty, sir.”

“I believe the twelve-mile limit was instituted because at the time that was the maximum range of shore bombardment guns aboard most warships,” Gao said. “In this age of cruise missiles and supersonic flight, twelve miles is a pittance, a matter of just a few seconds. Surely you understand that any military activity that might be considered hostile must take place outside the two-hundred-nautical-mile limit. This would include submerged submarines, armed aircraft, spy planes, and warships that are configured for battle, such as aircraft carriers with ready flight decks.”

President Phoenix looked at the vice president in surprise. “You seem very well prepared to discuss such a wide-sweeping policy, Mr. Gao,” he said.

“It is a matter of great importance to my people, sir,” Gao said. “Think of this, Mr. President: our
Zheng He
carrier battle group steams in toward New York, Washington, San Francisco, or New Orleans. We have forty supersonic stealth strike aircraft, dozens of nuclear cruise missiles, and guns that can fire a shell twenty miles with great precision. Eleven nautical miles off the coast it is considered hostile and is prohibited, but at thirteen miles it is not? I think the populations of all our coastal cities would be thankful if carrier battle groups stayed at least two hundred nautical miles away, not just twelve. Would you not agree, sir?”

President Phoenix nodded to the vice president. “Yes, I would,” he admitted.

“That is most excellent, sir,” Gao said. “I realize it will take many weeks or months—hopefully not longer—to get an international treaty signed, but I think it should be possible for our two nations to agree to this as a signal to all nations to work toward peace. Hostile aircraft and ships should stay at least two hundred nautical miles from our respective shores.”

“I’d like to discuss it with my entire national security staff, sir,” Phoenix said, “but if we are in agreement, I think such a restriction can be put in place while we consult with the Senate on a formal treaty.”

“Thank you, sir,” Gao said. “This has been a most unfortunate and, frankly, terrifying episode, Mr. President. I felt as if events were threatening to spin completely out of control. I hope we can plan a way forward that increases communication and cooperation between our countries so this never happens again.”

“I feel the same way, Mr. Gao,” Phoenix said. “
Zàijiàn,
Mr. Gao.”

“Good-bye to you too, sir,” Gao said. “
Xièxiè.
” And the connection was terminated.

Phoenix replaced the receiver on its cradle, then looked up at the others. “What do you make of that?” he asked.

“It makes me even more distrustful of the Chinese, sir,” Ann Page said. “They set off a nuke in the South China Sea, then expect us to just sign a piece of paper and back away? Why should the United States back away? We haven’t been attacking anyone in international waters!”

“I know, Ann, but it’s a start—we’re less likely to start a war on the high seas if all the warships stay away from each other,” Phoenix said. “Herbert?”

“I am extremely relieved and optimistic to hear from Gao Xudong, and grateful to him for his very complete explanation and for formulating a plan of action so quickly. It certainly eases my concerns.”

“I’m still not convinced, Herbert,” Ann said. “Just a few days after Tang and Zu announce strict rules about movement in the South China Sea, Gao completely reverses them?”

“It makes sense if what Gao said about Zhou is true,” Phoenix said. “If Zhou was calling all the shots without getting permission, he and Zu could have easily brought China to the brink all by themselves.”

“I don’t know Gao that well, sir,” Kevich said. “But he is Western educated, highly intelligent, and well respected all around the world. He appears to me a very capable vice president and will probably make a good president.”

“But does he have the stones to stand up to General Zu?” Ann asked.

“That I do not know, Miss Vice President,” Kevich said, his forehead wrinkling at the vice president’s salty language. “But he would not be allowed to reveal all he did without cooperation from the general staff. His admissions and presenting that plan were extraordinary, and he would never have been authorized to do it if the military wasn’t on board.” Ann Page still looked doubtful but said nothing.

“Bill?” the president asked.

“I’m with the vice president on this one, sir—this stinks to high heaven,” National Security Adviser Glenbrook said. “I think we should press ahead with everything you wanted to do before we got that call from Gao: beef up defenses in the western Pacific, send as many bombers and fighters as possible out there, and get ready for a fight.”

“That would not send a very cooperative signal, General Glenbrook,” Kevich said.

“The Chinese
admitted
they set off a nuke in the South China Sea—that doesn’t sound very cooperative either, Mr. Secretary,” Glenbrook said acidly. “We can still comply with everything Gao suggested: aerial patrols, transiting the South China Sea, exercises, port calls, and keep two hundred miles from port—except we build up our presence and defenses in the western Pacific, and do it quickly. Maybe China won’t be so ready to set off a nuke if we have a few fighter and bomber wings and a couple aircraft carrier battle groups nearby.”

“I still think that would be overly provocative, sir, given the admissions and conciliatory tone of President Gao’s call,” Kevich said.

President Phoenix thought about it for a few moments, then said, “I agree, Bill. Continue on with arming the western Pacific, but we’ll limit the patrols to unarmed aerial patrols and announce when we sail ships through the South China Sea. We can still look cooperative and continue beefing up our footprint out there.” To the vice president: “When that dispatch from Gao comes in, Ann, read it over and brief me on the high and low points. You can tell the press that we’re in direct contact with the highest levels of the Chinese government on a resolution to this incident.” Phoenix shook his head ruefully. “When the word of that nuclear depth charge attack gets out, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I just hope there’s not a massive international panic.”

O
FFICE OF THE CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF
, B
EIJING
, C
HINA

T
HAT SAME TIME

“Do you think he believed me, General?” Gao asked. He was in General Zu’s office on the computer that served as the videoconference hotline terminal to several capitals around the world. “He did not seem angry or confrontational at all.”

“I told you, Gao, the Americans do not want a fight in Asia,” Zu said, lighting a cigarette. “Since World War Two, the Americans have failed to win an Asian war, even with a powerful army and nuclear weapons and against vastly inferior forces.” He nodded his head to Gao. “But I have to admit: you were right, Gao,” he said. “Talking with the Americans and even admitting attacking their aircraft seems to have mollified them—you even had that spineless drone Phoenix speaking Mandarin! I thought he would take an hour cursing and swearing at us, and instead he was speaking Mandarin—
awful
Mandarin, but still Mandarin!”

Zu thought for a moment. “This should give us an opportunity to build our naval forces without fear of an American mobilization and blockade,” he said. “We should be completing the purchase of the French aircraft carrier
Clemenceau
shortly, and we can begin assembling its battle group and air wing. Then we will have three aircraft carrier battle groups within the first island chain, and the Americans will be lucky to sail just one. Our domination will be complete!”

T
HE
W
HITE
H
OUSE
S
ITUATION
R
OOM

A
FEW HOURS LATER

The Situation Room exploded in a storm of shouts and exclamations of disbelief and absolute shock from the civilian attendees; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Joseph Collingsworth, shot to his feet. “China did
what,
Mr. President?” he cried. Along with the president, vice president, the secretaries of defense and state, the national security adviser, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, there were a group of senior congressional leaders of both political parties and the chairpersons and ranking members of the congressional military committees in attendance.

“All indications point to precisely that,” President Ken Phoenix said. “A Taiwanese attack submarine wanted to challenge China’s restrictions in the South China Sea; it approached one of China’s aircraft carrier battle groups; it was discovered and was attacked and destroyed with a nuclear depth charge. The yield was less than one kiloton—about one-twentieth the size of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, and far smaller than the ones launched against our air and ICBM bases in the American Holocaust.”

“
This is outrageous!
” Diane M. Jamieson, majority leader of the U.S. Senate, exclaimed. Jamieson was the long-serving senator from Nevada who had served on several military committees in both the House and Senate and had as much knowledge of defense matters as almost anyone else in the room. “I don’t care what the yield was, Mr. President—the Chinese are again using nuclear weapons! What have we done in response? What is the DEFCON?”

“Right after we had confirmation that it was a nuclear depth charge, I ordered our forces to DEFCON Three,” Phoenix replied. “Since then we were able to place two more Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines out to sea last night, one in the Pacific and the other in the Atlantic Ocean.” A slide changed on the large electronic monitor at the head of the conference table, showing a map of the world marked with icons for submarines and aircraft. “That makes a total of three ballistic missile subs and one cruise missile sub in the Atlantic, and four ballistic missile subs and one cruise missile sub in the Pacific. In addition, we have three B-2A Spirit stealth bombers and three B-52H Stratofortress bombers, dispersed to various air bases in the continental United States, being loaded now with nuclear gravity and standoff weapons to be placed on around-the-clock alert. The bombers already deployed to Guam only have conventional weapons, but we’re considering arming them with nuclear weapons as well. The aircraft carriers already at sea won’t be loaded with nuclear weapons, but the three that are in port getting ready for deployment can be armed.”

“That’s
it
?” Jamieson remarked, her blue eyes wide with disbelief. “That’s our nuclear strike force? I know most of our bombers and land-based ballistic missiles were destroyed in the American Holocaust, but where are all the submarines?”

“Normal patrols these days are usually six or seven subs total, split between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Senator Jamieson,” Secretary of Defense Fredrick Hayes said. “We’re lucky to be able to deploy the other two. The remaining subs are either undergoing maintenance, coming back from patrol, or getting ready to go out on patrol. The ones getting ready for patrol can be accelerated to get them out faster, perhaps in a day or two. Others may take as long as a month.”

“A
month
?” Joseph Collingsworth blurted out. Although a member of the House of Representatives almost as long as Jamieson, Collingsworth was relatively new to the top leadership position in the House and was not as knowledgeable of military or foreign affairs. “I didn’t realize what a sorry shape our military was.”

“Since we got into office we’ve been pushing for more military spending, primarily in long-range strike and space, Congressman,” Vice President Ann Page said. “But with tax receipts down, unemployment still high, and nondiscretionary spending through the roof, there’s no money available for the military unless other programs get cut first.”

“You can solve this problem right away without cutting entitlement, education, research, and health-care programs, Miss Vice President: raise the marginal top tax rate to what it has been during any period we are at war or needed to raise money for defense or infrastructure; eliminate the Medicare salary cap; and support cap-and-trade carbon emissions legislation,” Senator Jamieson said. “Cap-and-trade alone would raise one hundred billion dollars a year, along with reducing greenhouse gases and encouraging development of antipollution technology.”

“Let’s get back to the issue at hand, ladies and gentlemen,” President Phoenix said, trying very hard not to sound exasperated. “My response to the Chinese use of a nuclear weapon was to raise the DEFCON level, place more nuclear-armed subs and bombers on alert, and prepare other assets such as tactical fighter aircraft and other warships to employ nuclear weapons. I have been in contact with acting president Gao Xudong of China, who explained that former president Zhou had ordered the use of a nuclear weapon but is no longer in charge. This has been verified by our ambassador in Beijing. We also agreed to limit naval activity in the South China Sea to outside the two-hundred-kilometer economic exclusion zone in order to reduce tensions. Any other suggestions?”

“Let’s start with kicking China out of the United Nations Security Council and slapping a trillion-dollar sanction on them!” Senator Jamieson said.

“The ouster of a permanent member of the Security Council requires a unanimous vote of the permanent and temporary members of the Council and a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly,” Secretary of State Kevich said, “and in my opinion Russia would veto. However, Congress could pass a nonbinding resolution to that effect. China has agreed to pay the costs for environmental cleanup, rescue, recovery, and replacing the damaged and destroyed warships.”

“That’s
it
?” Senator Jamieson asked incredulously. “China sets off a nuke in the South China Sea, and all the United States can do is gear up its scant military forces for war?”

“China has the second-largest economy in the world, Senator,” Phoenix said. “Their GDP is growing while ours is shrinking, and it’s possible that in five years their GDP could surpass ours. They hold twenty percent of U.S. debt, and we import twenty-five percent of what China produces. They have the largest military in the world, and it grows both in numbers and quality every year, while ours shrinks. It’s difficult to fight numbers like that.”

“I never would have believed we’d come to this point,” Jamieson said. “You’re saying we’re powerless to do anything?”

“We’re not powerless,” Phoenix replied. “This is what I want Congress to do: approve my budget, which provides the Department of Defense an additional two hundred billion dollars a year for the next six years. With it I will reactivate the Space Defense Force constellation of space-based weapon platforms to provide the United States with proven, reliable, responsive global strike capability. I will also speed up development of a next-generation long-range bomber force and put the canceled Ford-class supercarriers CVN-79 and -80 back into accelerated production.”

“
Your
budget, Mr. President?” Jamieson asked derisively. “The budget that eliminates four cabinet-level departments, cuts everyone else’s budgets by twenty percent, and eliminates hundreds of programs meant for education, research, environmental protection, health, and retraining? Your budget was soundly rejected by both houses of Congress, sir. It’s never coming back.”

“It’s the only budget that’s been put on the table, Senator,” Ann said. “Congress hasn’t passed a budget in over five years.”

“When we get a budget that doesn’t force the lower and middle class to pay for military hardware and tax breaks for the rich, Miss Vice President, we will,” Collingsworth said.

The president looked at each of the faces around him, saw no compromise in sight, and nodded. “All right, Majority Leader, Speaker,” he said finally. “I think this situation with China is serious enough that something needs to be done immediately, so I’ll agree to support a temporary ten percent income tax hike . . .” As a smile began to break out on Jamieson’s face the president raised a hand and quickly added, “ . . . on
everyone
, Senator. Across the board.” The smile began to disappear. “Shared sacrifice, Majority Leader?” Jamieson finally nodded. “And the funds go completely to bolstering defense: long-range strike, aircraft carriers, and military space, all the things we should have been building up over the past five years.”

“And the marginal tax rate, cap-and-trade, and Medicare salary caps?” Collingsworth asked. “The last time we had a large military or infrastructure building program, the marginal top tax rate was seventy percent. A ten percent hike is a good start, but it’s not enough.”

“That discussion we’ll save for some other time,” the president said, a touch of weariness in his voice. “Do we have a deal, Miss Majority Leader, Mr. Speaker?”

The two congressional leaders looked at each other, and their eyes said it all: they had finally gotten the president to go back on his pledge not to increase taxes—he was toast in the next election. Jamieson turned to the president and nodded. “We have a deal, Mr. President,” she said.

“Good. If there are no other suggestions on what we might do with China, I’d like to thank you for coming. Please remember all the information I’ve passed along to you today is classified secret and is not to be released to the public in any way. Thank you again.” Phoenix got to his feet, and the others did likewise. He shook hands with each member of Congress and his national security staff, then departed, followed by Ann Page.

Back in the Oval Office, the president poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at his desk, staring out the windows. “Do you believe Jamieson and Collingsworth?” Ann asked behind him. “China sets off a nuke in the South China Sea and shoots down two American aircraft with a microwave weapon, and all they want to do is argue over entitlement spending and cap-and-trade? They control both houses of Congress, but they still can’t agree on a damn thing!”

“They’re ideological partisan politicians with a strong progressive agenda, Ann,” the president said. “National defense is not high on their priority list except as a big chunk of the budget they hope to raid to pay for other programs. The South China Sea might as well be on the planet Mars.”

“We should have talked before you agreed on a tax hike, sir,” Ann said. “We both pledged never to raise taxes. The other side is going to rake us over the coals for that.”

“I know, I know, campaign season starts up soon, and I’m starting it by going back on a promise,” Phoenix said. “But when the world finds out that China used a nuclear weapon again, the United States won’t be the only country building its military. I’m just relieved Jamieson agreed to earmark the new income for defense—that’s huge for her.” The president remained silent for several long moments, sipping his coffee. Then he spoke: “Leak it.”

“Excuse me, Mr. President?”

“Leak it,” Phoenix repeated. “Leak a few of the details of the Chinese nuclear depth charge, long-range antiship missiles, and the high-power microwave weapon. Do it over a period of a few weeks. Refuse to comment on reports from foreign media outlets or blogosphere rumors, but acknowledge to a few outlets that we’re looking into these reports.”

“Aren’t you afraid of creating a panic, Ken?” Ann asked. “Once folks learn China set off a nuclear warhead in the South China Sea and can hit a ship with a missile hundreds of miles over the horizon, trade through that area will disappear. No shipping company in their right mind will sail a cargo vessel or tanker through the South China Sea. A third of the goods that travel by sea go right through that region.”

“Yes, I realize that,” Phoenix said quietly. He turned to Ann. “Congress won’t act because they’re not focusing on the military threat from China—everyone thinks we’re linked so tightly together that there’s no threat against the United States from China. But the United States was linked with Japan just as tightly until Japan invaded China in 1937 and we cut off oil and steel exports to Japan in 1941, which resulted in the Pearl Harbor attack. If there’s a panic, it won’t be because we leaked some information—it’ll be because China attacked foreign warships and aircraft and wants to turn the South China Sea into their own private lake.”

Ann Page studied the president for a few moments. “You’ve changed over the past few weeks, Ken,” she said finally. “You’re still the same president, but . . . the man has changed, I think. You’re silently getting pissed off at all the antics being pulled off around the world, and you want so badly to do something about it, but you don’t quite have all the tools . . . yet. So you’re pissed off.”

Phoenix looked at his vice president for a long few moments, then shrugged and asked, “So?”

“So nothing,” Ann said, smiling. “I like it. I like pissed off.”