Invasion: Colorado (20 page)

Chairman Hong turned in wonder to Xiao Yang. “Can this be true? Has the Chancellor practiced treachery against us without our knowing it?”

“There are rumors, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “The Germans...they are deceitful and clever. Their security operatives consider no devious trick as too low to practice. It isn’t intelligence, as a cultured Han would possess, but a low animal cunning they exhibit. Because of Chancellor’s Kleist security mania, my agents have been unable to discern the truth of these rumors.”

“This is failure, Xiao,” the Leader said. “I demand knowledge, even from these low animals. How are we to proceed with our plans if I’m given faulty or misleading information?”

“As I was about to say, Leader,” Xiao Yang said, “I have discovered that an American team went to Iceland. As amazing as it sounds, the beleaguered Americans are not as security-conscious as Chancellor Kleist’s people are. We believe one of the Chancellor’s representatives might have met with these Americans to hear their begging.”

Chairman Hong’s eyes narrowed, giving him a suspicious squint. “Americans begging, yes; they must be thrashing about, looking for help wherever they can. Their armies crumble before Chinese might and they think now to crawl on their knees to the Germans for help. Did these representatives lick German jackboots? The Americans are proud boasters and now crawl on their bellies, seeking aid against us. I knew they were nothing but a jackal, mongrel people with no true spirit.”

The Chairman banged a fist on the golden table. “All that aside, I want to know why the Germans see fit to remain in Cuba. My spies, it appears, cannot crack the German plans. That is intolerable. Police Minister, you must change that.”

“It will be done, Leader,” Xiao Yang said as he bowed his head. “After the meeting I will dispose of the failure running the German infiltration division.”

“Make an example of him,” Hong muttered.

“An excellent idea, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “His passing with be a painful and instructive one. The rest of the case officers will take note and redouble their efforts.”

“I want results soon, Xiao.”

“I will light a fire under them,” the Police Minister said. “Of that you can be sure.”

“That doesn’t help us today,” Hong said in a petulant tone. “This is a strategy session and we are clueless concerning the Germans. You, Foreign Minister, what about your endless stables of mandarins; cannot they decipher the German signals? Surely, they can outthink these pork-eating Europeans.”

“Leader,” the Foreign Minister said. A light sheen of sweat had appeared on his round face. “I do have a theory regarding the situation.”

“Speak! Tell us,” Hong said. “What do these secretive Germans plan to do?”

“The Germans are greedy, Leader,” the Foreign Minister said. “They wish to reap where they have not sown. Chinese arms has smashed the Americans and driven like a steamroller over their country. Once the Americans surrender, we have a right to take the vast share of land, as Chinese blood and Chinese courage and strategy produced the glorious victory. It is my belief the Germans envy us because of this. They are a vainglorious race, believing they are super soldiers. I suspect Chancellor Kleist of duplicity in an effort to acquire a greater share of the coming spoils.”

“What do you say to this?” Hong asked the Police Minister.

“Leader…” Xiao Yang said slowly. “I ferret out secrets for China. It is not my prerogative to decipher their meaning. I leave that to your experts such as the Foreign Minister. It is enough for me—”

Hong frowned, and it caused Xiao Yang to falter.

“The Foreign Minister makes an excellent point, Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “The Germans are greedy, and I’m beginning to think, cowardly. Why else did they renege on their treaty obligations this summer? The military fiasco in New Orleans bears witness to their perfidy. The South Americans took brutal losses storming ashore. I think—”

“The South Americans,” Hong said with a sneer. “The less we speak about them, the better. They are useful garrison troops. For fighting, we must rely on the valor of Chinese arms.”

The Army Minister cleared his throat. He was stooped-shouldered with many wrinkles on his face, and his chest blazed with medals and ribbons. His name was Marshal Wu, the spokesman for the fighting military.

“Are you becoming impatient?” Hong asked the Marshal.

The wrinkled old man showed his teeth in a grin. “You need a younger, stronger man for my post, Leader. If I remain here too long at this meeting, I’m afraid I shall nod off. I have sipped your excellent coffee, a most powerful brew. While the caffeine boils in my blood is the best time for us to discuss the coming strategy for winter.”

Chairman Hong stared at Marshal Wu.

The entire chamber seemed to hold its breath. Shun Li wondered if she was about to witness one of the legendry executions. Rumors abounded concerning Hong’s increasingly bad temper. He feared assassination, and he’d had individuals shot in his presence. One operative had whispered to her a month ago that Hong believed he could literally sniff out traitors.

Holding herself motionless against the wall, Shun Li watched, although she was careful not to gaze directly at Chairman Hong. She used her peripheral vision to study him, waiting to see him sniff like a hound.

It did not occur. Instead, Chairman Hong nodded. “I appreciate your wisdom, Marshal Wu. As befits a military man, you have courage. I have come to realize how rare that is among my ministers. It is perhaps a gift of age. Knowing you are about to pass on to the next life, your fear of death has dwindled.”

“An excellent point, Leader,” Wu said.

“I take it you have certain refinements to make regarding the overarching plan we decided upon this summer?”

“That is an excellent way of saying it, Leader,” Wu said. “As a preamble to the Army’s…
refinements
, I would like to make a comment.”

“This
is
a strategy session,” Hong said. He smiled and glanced around at the other ministers.

Each of them chuckled politely, although Shun Li noticed that none of the aides standing against the wall uttered a sound.

Marshal Wu sipped from the coffee cup at his elbow. “We did not anticipate the intensity of the rains, Leader. It has allowed the Americans time to strengthen their lines and it has slowed our relentless advance. Before his premature death in California this summer, Marshal Nung taught us much about around-the-clock offenses. Because of your wisdom, Leader, in pointing this out to Army High Command, we have instituted a similar approach. Such an offensive takes a prodigious amount of supplies, particularly artillery munitions. The rains have bogged down our supply rate. Lately, a greater American submarine presence has also begun to have an adverse effect.”

“Why is this happening now?” Hong asked the Navy Minister.

“New tactics, Leader,” the Navy Minister said.

“New?” Hong asked. “What new tactics can the beleaguered Americans—”

Marshal Wu cleared his throat once more, causing Chairman Hong to stop speaking and stare at the old soldier.

“Are you daring to interrupt me again?” Hong asked in a low and dangerous tone.

“Please, Leader, I ask you to forgive an old man. It was my scratchy throat. I do not have the strength of you young men or the same forbearance against discomfort.”

“Ah,” Hong said.

“I would never dream of interrupting you, Leader.”

Hong nodded.

“Since we’re on the topic of interrupted supplies,” Wu said, “I would like to point out an increase in partisan attacks. These attacks are particularly fierce in Texas and Oklahoma.”

Chairman Hong blinked at Wu. “We were discussing the naval situation.”

“Ah, forgive me, Leader. I thought the topic was the interrupted supply situation. I do not have your ability to switch from idea to idea with such lightning speed.”

Hong gestured irritably, waving his hand as if he were an orchestra conductor. “Yes, I do possess swiftness of thought that is painfully lacking in others. It is a burden, I assure you. Very well, I will stoop down to your level, Marshal. Continue with your comment. We will discuss the naval situation afterward when you take your nap.”

Marshal Wu smiled, showing his teeth. They were bright white, no doubt dentures.

Shun Li saw the Marshal’s smile for what it was. In her practiced opinion, the old man hated Hong. The Marshal disguised the hatred well, however. He superbly acted a part.

Yes, he plays the old man in order to lull the Chairman
.

“Together—the naval losses and partisan assaults—have slowed the rate of our supplies reaching the front. The very length to the front also adds wastage,” Marshal Wu said. “The rains make everything worse because they slow the swiftness of the campaign and bog down the resupply efforts. We need a total concentration attack for winter. A brutal, intense and an around-the-clock assault to the Canadian border will do several things at once. It will smash the Americans where they stand. That will allow the pursuit divisions to reach the border in record time. That will spit the United States in two, forever dividing the East from West. That will also give us their most important oil fields, tremendously weakening their Army. Such a swift campaign will save our military from prolonged exposure and wear, leaving it in that much better condition for the next grand assault.”

“We have spoken about these things before,” Hong said. “You’ve added nothing new.”

“The rains have slowed the assault,” Wu said. “That slowing has given the Americans time, which they’ve used to thicken their defenses. Even worse, newly manufactured drones and fighters have reached the front, replenishing their losses. I would like permission to move the MC ABMs deeper into the Midwest.”

Chairman Hong blinked several times at the Marshal.

“The Mobile Canopy Anti-Ballistic Missile vehicles,” Marshal Wu said. “They are massive, over six hundred tons in weight. As we spread out across the American Plains, we need greater air protection against American drones and missile assaults. Our tac-lasers wear out or go up in flames from successful American strikes. The remaining tac-lasers are stretched everywhere. Our anti-air umbrella has become porous.”

“I’ve been repeatedly told that our Air Force is superior to the American fighters and drones,” Hong said.

“Our Air Force is better than theirs, Leader,” Wu said. “Unfortunately, the Great Plains is a vast region. At times, the Americans gain local air superiority and inflict unprecedented damage to our soldiers. Our tac-lasers and mobile SAMs are priority targets for the enemy. We have fewer than needed. With the northern movement of our MC ABMs we could create tighter air-defense umbrellas.”

“Why haven’t you already moved them then?” Hong asked querulously.

Marshal Wu appeared surprised, but recovered quickly, bowing his head. “The Army has followed your directive, Leader: Number 17. We have heavily defended our rear areas where the excess munitions and fuel await shipment to the front. I believe the time may have arrived to move our air-defense net closer to the front. Because of the directive, I need your personal permission to move them.”

Chairman Hong snapped his fingers. “These… ABMs protect the supply bases from nuclear assault?”

“That is correct, Leader,” Wu said.

“I know it is correct. I just said so. Do not presume on your advanced age, Marshal.”

Once again, Wu bowed his head.

“Hmm,” Hong said, staring at the Marshal, “we should move a portion of the air-shield north. Very well, you may move twenty percent of the mobile ABMs north.”

Marshal Wu hesitated.

“You are beginning to annoy me, Army Minister. Do you think that an insufficient number?”

“By no means, Leader,” Wu said. “Twenty percent is an ideal amount. My surprise shows my ignorance. I wondered how you had arrived at the perfect percentage without examining any notes. I’d forgotten for a moment who I dealt with. You are, after all, Leader, the man who taught Marshal Nung his trade during the Arctic campaign. When it comes to military strategy, you have no peer.”

“My predecessor was also a military genius,” Hong said, sounding mollified. “I’ve begun to think it is a prerequisite for the exalted post.”

“Twenty percent of the MC ABMs,” Marshal Wu muttered. He wrote on a notepad.

“Leader,” Xiao Yang said. “One of my Guardian Inspectors has uncovered what may be the Americans’ most devious military surprise to date.”

“Indeed,” Hong said. “This sounds interesting. Tell us.”

“I wonder if perhaps you would prefer to hear it from the inspector herself.”

Hong look up at Shun Li. “Do you mean your twitcher?”

“What she lacks in decorum she makes up for in her agile mind,” Xiao Yang said.

Hong frowned at Shun Li. “I find this difficult to believe. She has a broad face like a peasant and lacks manners. Still…Sometimes a peasant proves to be cunning. Very well, old friend, let your twitching Guardian Inspector make her report.”

The Police Minister beckoned Shun Li to approach the golden conference table.

Fear curdled in her stomach. The Chairman was already predisposed against her. Worse, she’d heavily altered the report. She could only imagine what would happen if Chairman Hong learned the truth. She would die, likely in a hideous manner. If she could have repented of the report, she would have. Yet she could also imagine that admitting to forgery would end in heinous death. She had no alternative but to stick to her story and hope for the best.

“We don’t have all day,” Hong said. “If you take too long, Marshal Wu will fall asleep.”

There were polite chuckles from the ministers, including the old Marshal.

Shun Li wished she’d seen other aides give reports. She had no idea how to stand, speak—anything.

She reached the edge of the table, bowed her head to Chairman Hong and then stood at the same ramrod attention as she’d practiced in the Police Minister’s chamber.

“Illustrious Chairman Hong,” she began, staring into an unseen point in space, “I have read various reports indicating the Americans hid a secret in Denver, Colorado.”