Chapter 163

I was up and had breakfast before 0500, expecting the Russians at their normal time. They were late - it was 0700 when they came in - but it gave me plenty of time to read updates.

Everyone in the Middle East was angry about something. Hezbollah was sending dozens of rockets at Israel, Jordan and Egypt; the same rockets were misfiring, falling back on their own communities.

Hamas and Hezbollah were infighting now in another power struggle. Some things never change.

I checked in with Andy; it had been a while. The French terrorists who were to wear suicide vests or were to be shooters had all been tried and executed.

The cells in the security zone now held mostly cartel criminals, drug runners and hit men transferred to the security zone prison by the Mexican government for final termination.

Even after all the members of the cartel that had been arrested, killed or executed, they were powerful enough that many Mexican politicians were afraid. Andy was still picking up cartel members nearly every week.

We talked for nearly thirty minutes about the Persian Gulf and Iran’s growing threats and actions. Tiam and the General were going by their play book that we had intercepted. I was still cautious and going to be even more cautious.

The Russian group was finally here and took seats at the table. I felt like asking them where they had been but held my tongue.

It didn’t take long to find out.

‘‘China increased the border pressure today by moving more troops to the border. The radio broadcast ran with live interviews of so called former Chinese refugees from the Russian side of the border describing prison and torture. None of that has happened. We have had no problems with that border area; there are just a few border guards,’’ President Orbatch said.

‘‘It’s the same Chinese encroachment play book they use everywhere. It’s odd they are using it against you unless they see a big advantage - in this case territory, oil and gas,’’ I said.

‘‘You said yesterday we had to do something to throw them off and make them change their plan. What did you mean by that?’’ Anton asked.

‘‘What would it take to make them sit back for a moment and reassess? What is the most shocking thing you could do?” I asked.

‘‘I think we are doing it, we are talking with you - they flat out told us we had no choice but to deal with them. But it apparently makes no difference,’’ President Orbatch said.

“I know you are going to think this is off the wall crazy but here it is. We enter into an additional agreement making Vladivostok Naval base a joint US base and I send a carrier task force there tomorrow with plenty of TV coverage of the joyous arrival. We can say we are doing some joint training exercises. That would put a US force within a hundred miles of China.’’

‘‘Then you make the Abakan air base a joint base and I send forty heavy bombers to add to yours there and again a celebration for the cameras. Again we use joint training as the cover story. We send the ships and planes there before the announcement giving them no advance notice to do anything. Abakan is just six hundred miles from China. I can’t think of anything that would upset the apple cart more than that,’’ I said.

‘‘Then you shut off the gas valves until they pay up,’’ I said.

‘‘Think about it for a while. Talk it over at lunch, but let’s get the rest of the things we want to discuss finished up.

Tomorrow will be a big day for announcements and get aid headed to Russia.”

We worked until lunch and separated; in fact they went to the embassy to have high level discussions.

I needed high level discussions of my own with the joint chiefs; I had gone out on a limb with a saw with my joint training comment.

I called them to come to my office while I tried to figure out a way to be tactful.

When they were seated, I still had not come up with a way to be tactful.

‘‘There is a possibility of joint basing at Vladivostok Naval base for a carrier task force and a bomber group at the Abakan air base to add pressure on the possible Chinese adventure at the Russian border,’’ I waited for a response and waited.

First was the look of surprise then the questions started.

‘‘When?’’ General Ingram asked.

‘‘As early as tomorrow - if they approve. I’m thinking to move the Reagan task force there that it is based in Japan,’’ I said.

‘‘Could be an intelligence bonanza,’’ Frank Love said.

‘‘There is a lot more if the discussions are productive this afternoon,’’ I said.

My lunch was brought in while we were talking.