CARRIER 8: ALPHA STRIKE By: Keith Douglass

in your ability to insist on withdrawal. Is that it?”

He nodded. “I’d feared it would be difficult for you, understanding the

delicate position we stand in with regard to China. But, yes, that’s the

situation exactly.”

“And you’re sure about this information?” she asked. “Careers are going

to fall over this one, you know.”

“The source is trustworthy, I assure you. As trustworthy as any spy ever

is, at least.”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “We are, of course, most

grateful for the information. It will cause some problems, naturally, but not

as many as allowing the situation to continue.”

“Yes. We thought as much. As it would for us, should the source of your

information be discovered.”

“I’ll do my best to protect you on this, but you understand the

difficulties.”

“We have fewer such problems in Vietnam. Perhaps you should consider

implementing more control over your press, as we have done.”

She laughed. “As much as I’d welcome the idea at times, it really

wouldn’t work here, you know.”

“Of course not. Still, it must be an attractive idea at times.”

“On occasion. But there are strengths to every weakness, Ambassador,

just as every strength is weak at some point.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “Odd. You sound very Asian, Madam Ambassador.”

“And in exchange for our understanding, and for the U.S. not insisting on

Vietnam taking action, you’re prepared to offer us information?”

“More than information. Cooperation, where possible. You know, of

course, that we’re a bit short on fighters ourselves. The bases they’re using

in the south were all built by American forces, I believe.”

“The one thing you haven’t made entirely clear is exactly what this

cooperation consists of. Or perhaps you have, and I’ve just failed to see the

subtleties in the situation.”

“Perhaps this will assist you,” he said as he set his cup and saucer down

on the coffee table. He opened his attache case, pulled out a brown folder,

and handed it to her. “All their operational traffic and operations plans for

the last week.”

She suppressed a sudden intake of breath. A treasure trove of

intelligence! “Could I impose on you for the salient points of your

analysis?” she asked, not yet wanting to leaf through the messages and bits of

paper crammed into the folder.

“Of course. China has been conducting a rather delicate campaign of

misinformation and deception. You’ve deduced, of course, that she herself is

behind the explosions on the Spratly Island camps.” He paused for a moment.

“As well as the attack on our own naval forces,” he continued grimly. The

change in his expression made him look less the well-groomed and urbane

ambassador she’d known for two years and more of a warrior. He had, she

recalled, fought with American forces during the Vietnam conflict. He now

looked more like the combat-blooded veteran he was.

“There is a source inside your satellite monitoring facilities,” he

continued. “We haven’t been able to determine exactly who it is, but there is

no doubt that there is one. It influences their planning immensely, although

I cannot say what effect it has on their mainland. They’re trying to blame it

on you, in an effort to unify Southeast Asia against the United States.”

“We’d started to suspect that,” she commented, still holding the folder

gingerly.

“We know,” he replied, and allowed a slight trace of amusement to cross

his face. “At any rate, you can expect a major incident sometime very soon,

one that China hopes will justify in the eyes of the world their attacking

your battle group. They plan to launch their strike from our soil. If that

happens, we will lose any chance of continuing the normalization of

relationships. This must not occur.”

“And the cooperation?” she nudged gently.

“I think you might like that part best of all.” For the next five

minutes, he laid out a plan that rivaled China’s.

She listened for several minutes. Grim amusement crept into her

expression. “Oh, yes,” she said finally. “I like this very much. And I

think that Navy admiral in the South China Sea is going to like it even

better.”

CHAPTER 23

Thursday, 4 July

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