Empire of the Dragon Page 28

  “What in the hell is going on?” Jack asked as he rolled over and tried to get an identification of the aircraft he had initially thought were Russian.

  Just as the second fighter jet rolled in to finish the job his wingman had started, Collins saw the unique shape of the fighter’s configuration. The ‘Delta’ wing and the twin-canards at the nose of the plane identified it readily for the Colonel. They were Chengdu J-20 fighters, NATO designation, ‘Flounder’, China’s newest, most advanced fighter aircraft. The second Flounder struck the hillside as the Russian scout group was decimated by the twenty-millimeter canons of both jets. As soon as the attack was over, the fighters climbed high into the skies and vanished.

  “Well, that solved that immediate problem,” Henri said as he joined Jack in standing to see the destruction just a mile off.

  “This is great, now we have China poking their noses around,” Collins said as he saw the far-off bodies torn to pieces by the heavy assault.

  “Yes, and they would not send their top line fighters if they were not serious about this area of the world,” Tram said as he moved ahead of Jack and Henri. “We must examine the bodies for any information they have.”

  Both Collins and Farbeaux watched the Vietnamese sergeant take the lead.

  “I get the distinct feeling our friend Mr. Tram hates the Russians and the Chinese equally.”

  Jack smiled as he started to follow.

  “They’re not a very trusting people, the Vietnamese.”

  * * *

  The bodies were torn to pieces. The first man they came to was sliced neatly in two parts, where a twenty-millimeter round hit him in the torso, as Tram went through his pockets. The third Russian commando had a map. He was also still alive.

  “What do we do about him?” Henri asked, as Tram straightened and unfolded the map.

  “Shoot him,” was all Tram said.

  Henri hesitated. This was not his usual attitude when it came to enemies and Jack was curious as to how he would react. He didn’t.

  Tram lowered the map and then pulled out his nine-millimeter pistol and shot the Russian in the head with no thought whatsoever. He went back to looking at the map. “They would not have given you such mercy, Colonel.”

  Henri looked from the man examining the map to face Collins.

  “Bastards get little sympathy from me,” Jack said in all seriousness.

  Farbeaux shrugged his shoulders as Tram brought the map over to them. “They seem to be interested in this area of the mountain, Colonel,” Tram said as he held out the Russian made map. “The highlighted area.”

  Jack looked from the map and then adjusted his line of sight to the mountainside.

  “It looks like a barren side of a mountain to me.”

  Tram folded the map. “Perhaps we should check these men for a functioning radio. It would seem that Director Compton needs to be filled in on what is transpiring here.”

  “I knew there was a reason we brought him along,” Henri said as they moved off.

  High overhead Russian and Chinese fighters started to gather and, as the three men moved off, they started hearing explosions deep inside the valley that led to the mountain from the south where the Chinese expeditionary force was cutting a trail large enough to get through.

  The Gobi Desert was filling up with bad people and, after four thousand years of existence, time was finally running for mythical city of Shangri-La.

  Chapter Eleven

  Event Group Complex,

  Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada

  Niles Compton placed the phone down and took a breath. His call with Lord Durnsford had not gone well. MI-6’s man ensconced on the international field team in Mongolia, like his people, still had not been located. Compton was even far more worried than the British Lord, due to the fact that the British agent had only failed to check in. Niles’ concern was the fact that he knew the situation was far worse than even MI-6 believed. The transponders of his people had been completely dark for the past two days.

  Also discussed was the fact that, no matter their concerns over their operatives, the entire Asian continent seemed close to a real shooting war. If their people were still alive, they were about to be right in the middle of a possible World War III scenario, where the British and American governments were stuck on the sidelines.

  Alice Hamilton knocked on the door to the conference room and entered, followed by Virginia and Xavier Morales. They saw Niles was deep in thought and, knowing the Director as well as they did, they sat silently and waited for him to come out of his concentrated silence. Xavier started to give his only good news, but just one look from Alice stilled his voice. Niles finally removed his horned-rimmed glasses and placed them on the conference table.

  “I have had two conversations in the last hour, neither was the bearer of good news.” Niles took another deep breath. “There was an incident in Mongolia. The Air Force admitted to the President that Captain Everett’s transport went down somewhere in the Gobi, location unknown.”

  Xavier and Alice glanced momentarily over at Virginia Pollock. She gave no hint as to her feelings about Master Chief Jenks. Her face was serene as she remained as she always had, poised.

  “Europa hasn’t seen any alteration in their health,” Xavier said, hoping to give Virginia a little reassurance.

  “MI-6 still has no word from their man,” Niles said avoiding the subject of Everett’s and Jenks’ transponders.

  “Europa has also been monitoring all military communications in Mongolia,” Xavier added.

  Niles looked up and then placed his glasses back on and waited for Doctor Morales’ report.

  “It seems the Russians dropped a squad of commandos in the desert near the spot of our field team’s last reported position. Europa monitored radio traffic from a Chinese source. A flight element reported a target destroyed at that same exact location.”

  “Europa’s conclusion?” Niles asked.

  “Her estimation is that the shooting has already started. She clandestinely heard radio traffic from Chinese forces closing on Sarah’s last reported position, claiming a Russian ground incursion has been halted by deadly force. CNN will be breaking the story in about fifteen minutes, and they will cite Chinese sources for their reporting. It seems China isn’t concerned with the implications of firing the first shot.”

  “Prepare a briefing package for the President’s eyes only. Send it to his Europa link. Suggest, and only suggest, that the same report go to National Security Advisor Caulfield. This may go a long way to getting some of our forces into Mongolia to get our people the hell out of there.”

  Xavier wrote down his instructions without a word being said.

  “I have never felt this helpless,” Niles said, standing up and pacing.

  “I do have some good news,” Xavier said. “Major Mendenhall just landed at McCarran airport, he should be back in an hour. Perhaps then we can get a clearer picture of Captain Everett’s intent.”

  Niles stopped pacing and nodded his head. “Colonel Collins?”

  “His transponder says he’s close to home, somewhere over the California coast. I estimate he’ll arrive at the complex in two hours.”

  “I just pray Jack can shed some light on what in the hell’s going on.”

  “Sitting here and fretting about what we can do nothing about will do us no good,” Alice said in her calm voice. “You better start thinking about how you’re going to tell Jack the answer’s ‘no’ when he pitches his plan to go after his people.”

  Niles didn’t respond, as he was feeling the plastic walls of the complex closing in around him. He sat once more and collected himself.

  “Once Jack and Will arrive on station, call a full managerial meeting of all departments. I want scenarios on what we do if the real shooting starts. I need recommendations from our end that we can advance to the President. As far as I can see it may not do that much good, because if the real shooting does start, old animosities will come to the fore
front between Russia and China. This may lead to a wider conflict. As of now, the President has ordered the Seventh Fleet to clear the area. He obviously expects the worse-case scenario.” He shook his head in despair and looked at each worried face. “Thank you, that will be all for now. Alice, as soon as Will arrives at the complex, send him to me.”

  Xavier and a silently fretting, Virginia Pollock started to leave, and Alice, always worried about how much Niles was taking on, stood and squeezed his left shoulder.

  “Your people are good, Niles. They don’t need Jack holding their hand. They’ll get through this somehow, they always do.”

  Niles reached up and took Alice’s hand as she stood over him.

  “Sooner or later we all pay for past sins. This may be that ‘later’. I have pushed the luck of my people to the breaking point.” He finally let go of Alice Hamilton’s hand. “Somehow I have let escape the real reason for our existence.” He stood up from his chair. “We’re not a spy agency, we’re scholars trying to figure out what in the hell is happening to us. We don’t predict, we estimate, solve and report. There are no real truths that we have learned concerning today’s problems. The only truth that we have come across, that is not diametrically opposed to human existence, is the fact that the world is consumed with greed and blowing ourselves up. We have to get through this and get back to learning, not spying.” He turned and faced his oldest friend in Alice Hamilton. “I need my people back.”

  “Get some rest and I’ll have the chef bring you in something to eat.” Alice started for the door.

  “Alice?”

  She stopped and turned. “Would Garrison have allowed Jack free reign to go after this Siberian Group?”

  She smiled and shook her head. “Niles, Garrison would have been leading the charge. But you’re not Garrison Lee, are you? That’s why you were chosen. You outthink Garrison every inch of the way. He knew what kind of man it would take to lead the department in us stepping into the future. That man is you, the opposite of him.” Alice smiled and nodded and turned once more for the door but stopped. “Garrison was a stubborn man, but he was smart when he admitted to his limitations.”

  Niles nodded his head in thanks and then went to his desk and sat.

  Despite Alice’s reassurances, the world was spinning out of control and no matter what, he felt responsible for it.

  Los Angeles International Airport,

  Los Angeles, CA

  The man came through customs and picked up his one bag. He moved easily through the airport until he came to the baggage pick-up area where he was met.

  The large man in a sweat suit held out his hand as if in greeting and the two shook. Then the larger of the two nodded his head and left, without saying a word.

  The dark-haired man felt the locker key in his palm and moved quickly to the left and the ten rows of long-term locker rentals. He found the correct locker and inserted the key and saw the large black leather case inside and took it out. It was heavy and filled with the tools of his tradecraft. Once he closed the door, he moved off to the helicopter charter area of the airport.

  He was nearing the end of his fifteen-year journey and felt absolutely nothing. Once he did what he came here to do, there would be no glory, no medals, and most assuredly, no greeting from his superiors. He would be dead. The fulfillment of years of training led him prematurely, by a chance opportunity, to clear the slate of his own department and that of its head, Leonid Vassick.

  Jack Collins moved off to charter the helicopter that would take him home to Nevada and the men and women that were weighing heavily on his mind, and what was needed to fulfill his mission.

  The elimination of the brain trust of Department 5656—the Event Group.

  * * *

  Tai Yin Valley (Valley of the Lion)

  Southern Mongolia

  The general was growing impatient. The column of armor had been halted for the past hour as the engineers tried to clear the game-trail his tank division was attempting to use as a bridge to their target. He slapped a hand down on the steel turret of his armored personnel carrier, as the engineers struggled with their C-4 charges. He was impatient because, at last report, the battle for the mountain had already seen its first shots fired by air power. The Russians were moving faster than expected.

  The sound of a helicopter came unbidden into his headphones. “Colonel, who in the hell is that?”

  The colonel didn’t say as he came to the ladder. His non-voiced answer told the general all he needed to know. He nodded his head just as the Dauphin EC155 executive helicopter flew over their position and then hovered over the blockage in the road far ahead momentarily, before turning back and settling to the ground only yards from his command vehicle.

  “I believe, if I’m not mistaken, we are about to be micromanaged.”

  Once the blades of Dauphin had stopped their spin, a woman in black Nomex clothing, with a ballistic vest covering her torso, stepped out. It was Lisa Chow, special assistant to Mr. Chang. Gone were the fine dress and high heels. She wore a black baseball cap over her dark hair and replaced the heels with polished combat boots. She came over to the general who hopped hurriedly down from the personnel carrier.

  “Ms. Chow?”

  She ignored the General and went to view the engineers just ahead of the column.

  “Your advance has fallen behind, General.”

  “This trail was never meant for armor. It will take time to clear the sides, so we can squeeze past. As it is, we will be vulnerable to air attack while bunched together.”

  “You have fallen behind our planned schedule, General.”

  He looked at her with concern etched on his face. It was as if the woman hadn’t heard a word he had just said.

  “I am here to make adjustments.”

  The general was tempted to move his hand toward the holstered pistol but refrained doing so over the imposed threat.

  “Please order your engineers back. Tell all personnel to enter their vehicles and to button up.”

  “But—”

  “I am not used to issuing orders twice, General.”

  In frustration, the General nodded his head toward his second-in-command to do as she asked. He started to inquire as to what her plan was when she started walking toward the retreating engineers and the blockage in the trail three hundred yards away.

  “That order also includes you and your command element, General,” she said without ceasing her walk.

  The General angrily nodded his head toward the command vehicle and went inside with his command team. He buttoned down the hatch as was his order just as the assault element did the same.

  Special Assistant to the immortal Emperor, Lisa Chow, examined the blockage in the road. It had been a landslide that happened somewhere around the time of Moses’ exodus from Egypt. The blockage was obviously placed there on purpose. She suspected she knew who had done it four thousand years before.

  She turned to make sure there were no spying eyes to see. She knew that, after tomorrow, there would no longer be a reason to hide the abilities her Master had bestowed upon her in 1932. It wouldn’t matter by then because the plan of two thousand years was starting to unfold before the very eyes of the world. She removed her hat and then slowly untied her boot laces. She removed her socks and then stood rigid as she faced the fifty-five tons of boulders in the path of the armored unit. She closed her eyes. She felt the warmth of the earth beneath her bare feet and the light breeze on her face. Her hair, which had been done up in a bun, fell and the strands started to slowly swirl as if caught up in an electrical field. Her hair waved in and around her face as her arms slowly came up, with the palms facing the falling sun.

  There was a rumble as the first of the boulders moved, as the air around became alive with static electricity. Dust and sand swirled in small vortexes as the rest of the blockage started to lose the weight of its mass. She slowly started to raise her arms higher, and then even higher. The first line of tonnage started to
shake as the air began to force the boulders off the ground.

  The wind picked up around the tank column in a tornado-like torrent. The men inside felt the heavily armored tanks tilt on their treads as the forces continued developing around them. The general and his men felt as if their personnel carrier was in danger of tipping over and they hung on. His only thought was: are we being attacked?

  Ms. Chow had every boulder blocking the pass a thousand feet in the air. Her eyes were still closed but she felt the power of the mineral flowing through her very soul. In her minds-eye, she saw the floating tonnage as it drifted lightly on the blinding wind she had created. With the power the Emperor had bestowed on her many years before, she moved the boulders to the side, and then with a mighty move of her swinging arms sent the mass high into the air to crash down a mile away from the advance. Her eyes remained closed as she once more started the natural forces of Air Bending to finish what she was sent here to do.

  Before anyone in the tank column knew what was happening, the winds stopped and, as they were just getting ready to exit their vehicles, black clouds and lightning pierced the skies for miles around. With each crash of thunder sounding like artillery going off around them, the tanks shook on their heavy chassis. Then all became silent as the skies cleared and the peace of the eastern Mongolian mountains returned.

  The general slowly jumped from his vehicle as the last of the clouds dissipated to allow the day’s last rays of sunshine to show through. He raised his binoculars and examined what had happened. With men streaming from their tanks and pointing, they all saw the trail had not only been cleared but had also been widened. It seemed the electrical strikes had blown open the trail for as far as the eye could see, as smoke was still rising from the expanded area ahead. He lowered his field glasses when a small figure walked toward the column through the settling dust. Her hat was missing, and she carried her boots in her hand. Her hair was wild with static electricity that only calmed the closer she came to the General.