tc.thebearandthedragon-第177部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Nothing；〃 Qian admitted。 〃But someone must speak the truth。 Someone must warn of the danger that lies before us； if we are to have a country left at the end of this misbegotten adventurism。〃
〃Perhaps so。 Qian； you are as ever a voice of reason and prudence。 We will speak more；〃 Fang promised； wondering how much of the man's words was alarmism； and how much was good sense。 He'd been a brilliant administrator of the state railroads； and therefore was a man with a firm grasp on reality。
Fang had known Zhang for most of his adult life。 He was a highly skilled player on the political stage； and a brilliantly gifted manipulator of people。 But Qian was asking if those talents translated into a correct perception of reality； and did he really understand America and Americans…and most of all； this Ryan fellow？ Or was he just forcing oddly…shaped pegs into the slots he'd engraved in his own mind？ Fang admitted that he didn't know； and more to the point； didn't know the answers to the implicit questions。 He did not know himself whether Zhang was right or not。 And he really should。 But who might？ Tan of the Ministry of State Security？ Shen of the Foreign Ministry？ Who else？ Certainly not Premier Xu。 All he did was to confirm the consensus achieved by others； or to repeat the words spoken into his ear by Zhang。
Fang walked to his office thinking about all these things； trying to organize his thoughts。 Fortunately； he had a system for achieving that。
It started in Memphis； the headquarters of Federal Express。 Faxes and telexes arrived simultaneously； telling the pany that its wide…body cargo jets were being taken into federal service under the terms of a Phase I call…up of the Civilian Reserve Air Fleet。 That meant that all freight…capable aircraft that the federal government had helped to finance （that was nearly all of them； because no mercial bank could pete with Washington when it came to financing things） were now being taken； along with their crews； under the control of the Air Mobility mand。 The notice wasn't wele； but neither was it much of a surprise。 Ten minutes later came follow…up messages telling the aircraft where to go； and soon thereafter they started rolling。 The flight crews； the majority of them military…trained； wondered where their ultimate destinations were； sure that they'd be surprising ones。 The pilots would not be disappointed in this。
FedEx would have to make do with its older narrow…body aircraft； like the venerable Boeing 727s with which the pany had gotten started two decades earlier。 That； the dispatchers knew； would be a stretch； but they had assistance agreements with the airlines； which they would now activate in order to try to keep up with the continuing shipment of legal documents and live lobsters all over America。
Just how inefficient is it？〃 Ryan asked。 〃Well； we can deliver one day's worth of bombs in three days' worth of flying…maybe two if we stretch things a little； but that's as good as it's going to get；〃 Moore told him。 〃Bombs are heavy things； and getting them around uses up a lot of jet fuel。 General Wallace has a nice list of targets to service； but to do that he needs bombs。〃
〃Where are the bombs going to e from？〃
〃Andersen Air Force Base on Guam has a nice pile；〃 Moore said。 〃Ditto Elmendorf in Alaska； and Mountain Home in Idaho。 Various other places。 It's not so much a question of time and distance as of weight。 Hell； the Russian base he's using at Suntar is plenty big for his purposes。 We just have to get the bombs to him； and I've just shunted a lot of Air Force lifters to Germany to start loading First Armored's aviation assets to where Diggs is。 That's going to take four days of nonstop flying。〃
〃What about crew rest？〃 Jackson asked。
〃What？〃 Ryan looked up。
〃It's a Navy thing； Jack。 The Air Force has union rules on how much they can fly。 Never had those rules out on the boats；〃 Robby explained。 〃The C…5 has a bunk area for people to sleep。 I was just being facetious。〃 He didn't apologize。 It was late…actually 〃early〃 was the correct adjective…and nobody in the White House was getting much sleep。
For his part； Ryan wanted a cigarette to help him deal with the stress； but Ellen Sumter was home and in bed； and no one on night duty in the White House smoked； to the best of his knowledge。 But that was the wimp part of his character speaking； and he knew it。 The president rubbed his face with his hands and looked over at the clock。 He had to get some sleep。
It's late； Honey Bunny；〃 Mary Pat said to her husband。 〃I never would have guessed。 Is that why my eyes keep wanting to close？〃
There was； really； no reason for them to be here。 CIA had little in the way of assets in the PRC。 SORGE was the only one of value。 The rest of the intelligence munity； DIA and NSA； each of them larger than the Central Intelligence Agency in terms of manpower； didn't have any directly valuable human sources either； though NSA was doing its utmost to tap in on Chinese munications。 They were even listening in on cell phones through their constellation of geosynchronous ferret satellites； downloading all of the 〃take〃 through the Echelon system and then forwarding the 〃hits〃 to human linguists for full translation and evaluation。 They were getting some material； but not all that much。 SORGE was the gemstone of the collection； and both Edward and Mary Patricia Foley were really staying up late to await the newest installment in Minister Fang's personal diary。 The Chinese Politburo was meeting every day； and Fang was a dedicated diarist； not to mention a man who enjoyed the physical attractions of his female staff。 They were even reading significance into the less regular writings of WARBLER； who mainly mitted to her puter his sexual skills； occasionally enough to make Mary Pat blush。 Being an intelligence officer was often little different from being a paid voyeur； and the staff psychiatrist translated all of the prurient stuff into what was probably a very accurate personality profile； but to them it just meant that Fang was a dirty old man who happened to exercise a lot of political power。
〃It's going to be another three hours at best；〃 the DCI said。
〃Yeah；〃 his wife agreed。
〃Tell you what。。。〃 Ed Foley rose off the couch； tossed away the cushions； and reached in to pull out the foldaway bed。 It was marginally big enough for two。
〃When the staff sees this； they'll wonder if we got laid tonight。〃
〃Baby； I have a headache；〃 the DCI reported。
CHAPTER 54
Probes and Pushes
Much of life in the military is mere adherence to Parkinson's Law； the supposition that work invariably expands to fill the time allocated for it。 In this case； Colonel Dick Boyle arrived on the very first C…5B Galaxy； which； immediately upon rolling to a stop； lifted its nose 〃visor〃 door to disgorge the first of three UH…60A Blackhawk helicopters； whose crewmen just as immediately rolled it to a vacant piece of ramp to unfold the rotor blades； assure they were locked in place； and ready the aircraft for flight after the usual safety checks。 By that time； the C…5B had refueled and rolled off into the sky to make room for the next Galaxy； this one delivering AH…64 Apache attack helicopters…in this case plete with weapons and other accoutrements for flying real missions against a real armed enemy。
Colonel Boyle busied himself with watching everything； even though he knew that his troops were doing their jobs as well as they could be done； and would do those jobs whether he watched and fussed over them or not。 Perversely； what Boyle wanted to do was to fly to where Diggs and his staff were located； but he resisted the temptation because he felt he should be supervising people whom he'd trained to do their jobs entirely without supervision。 That lasted three hours until he finally saw the logic of the situation and decided to be a mander rather than a shop supervisor； and lifted off for Chabarsovil。 The flying was easy enough； and he preferred the medium…low clouds； because there had to be fighters about； and not all of them would be friendly。 The GPS navigation system guided him to the right location； and the right location； it turned out； was a concrete helipad with soldiers standing around it。 They were wearing the 〃wrong〃 uniform； a state of mind that Boyle knew he'd have to work on。 One of them escorted Boyle into a building that looked like the Russian idea of a headquarters； and sure enough； it was。
〃Dick； e on over；〃 General Diggs called。 The helicopter mander saluted as he approached。
〃Wele to Siberia； Dick；〃 Marion Diggs said in greeting。
〃Thank you； sir。 What's the situation？〃
〃Interesting；〃 the general replied。 〃This is General Bondarenko。 He's the theater mander。〃 Boyle saluted again。 〃Gennady； this is Colonel Boyle； who mands my aviation brigade。 He's pretty good。〃
〃What's the air situation； sir？〃 Boyle asked Diggs。
〃The Air Force is doing a good job on their fighters so far。〃
〃What about Chinese helicopters？〃
〃They do not have many；〃 another Russian officer said。 〃I am Colonel Aliyev； Andrey Petrovich； theater operations。 The Chinese do not have many helicopters。 We've only seen a few； mainly scouts。〃
〃No troop carriers？ No staff transport？〃
〃No；〃 Aliyev answered。 〃Their senior officers prefer to move around in tracked vehicles。 They are not married to helicopters as you Americans are。〃
〃What do you want me to do； sir？〃 Boyle asked Diggs。
〃Take Tony Turner to Chita。 That's the railhead we're going to be using。 We need to get set up there。〃
〃Drive the tracks in from there； eh？〃 Boyle looked at the map。
〃That's the plan。 There are closer points； but Chita has the best facilities to off…load our vehicles； so our friends tell us。〃
〃What about gas？〃
〃The place you landed is supposed to have sizable underground fuel tanks。〃
〃More than you will need；〃 Aliyev confirmed。 Boyle thought that was quite a promise。
〃And ordnance？〃 Boyle asked。 〃We've got maybe two days' worth on the C…5s so far。 Six plete loads for my Apaches； figuring three missions per day。〃
〃Which version of the Apache？〃 Aliyev asked。
〃Delta； Colonel。 We've got the Longbow radar。〃
〃Everything works？〃 the Russian asked。
〃Colonel； not
