Chapter 56
Kurt, Joe, and Pru sat in stunned silence as the airmen dispersed. When the area had emptied, Kurt risked a peek over the stack of equipment that stood between them and the rest of the building.
Off to one side of the plane, Kurt saw a baggage train made up of wheeled carts.
Sleek-looking cruise missiles of a type he’d never seen before were being loaded onto them.
The Starlifter, as the flight leader had said, was Saber Two.
The laser-armed Saber One was nowhere to be seen.
Kurt guessed it was in the other hangar on the far side of the ramp.
He dropped back down and whispered to Joe. “These men aren’t just looking for a way to defend Taiwan. They’re going to attack China, pretending to be part of our military.”
“And kick off World War Three,” Joe said. “I heard them.”
No doubt the Yellow Tigers hoped it would be something less than Armageddon, but perhaps they didn’t care. “At the very least they want to throw the first punch and ensure we’re on their side as the brawl breaks out. It sounds insane, but there’s a certain logic to it.”
“Especially if they think war is inevitable,” Joe said. “But what does this have to do with Ahab? What does he get out of it?”
“Revenge,” Kurt said coldly. “On the recording in the C-17, he said he wanted to punish us for putting him out of business. Gushan as well. But that was only the first act, he also wanted revenge on our countries. What better way to do that than tricking them into fighting each other?”
“So the Yellow Tigers are just pawns,” Joe suggested.
Kurt nodded. “Ahab needs men who are willing to fly a suicide mission into the heart of Chinese power. Where else is he going to get them?”
Pru spoke up for the first time. Her face was ashen.
She knew Ahab as a dangerous, violent man.
But she assumed he was at least selfishly rational.
“Revenge is one thing,” she said. “But if Ahab causes World War Three, the bombs will fall on him just like everyone else. He’s not going to escape it. ”
“He doesn’t want to,” Kurt said. “He’s dying. Those doctors your brother took him to couldn’t pull all the toxins out of him. They’ve been killing him slowly. Looks like he wants to drag the whole world down with him if he can.”
Joe clenched his teeth and looked at Kurt in grave seriousness.
“Hate to say it. But we might have to reconsider that direct frontal assault.” He held up the MP5.
“We don’t exactly have heavy weapons at our disposal, but if we shoot up the fuel tanks and engines, this thing will never get off the ground. ”
It was an idea worth considering, but they wouldn’t live long after attacking the Starlifter, and their sacrifice would be nothing more than an inconvenience.
“Even if we took this plane out, Saber One is the real problem. If it storms into Chinese airspace and blasts the premier’s jet out of the sky, it’ll be World War Three for sure. ”
“We need to warn Washington,” Joe suggested. “Give our guys a chance to take out Ahab before he enters Chinese airspace.”
Kurt had considered that, too. Not only wasn’t there much time, but there wasn’t much hope of that working.
He felt like a man in a maze with no exit.
“It won’t do any good,” he said bluntly.
“Ahab will shoot down anything we send up against him. He’ll do the same to the Chinese.
Assuming his weapon works half as well as the original EAGL system, there’s no aircraft in the world that can get within a hundred miles of him. ”
As Kurt spoke the words, he realized he was mistaken. He turned slowly toward the gleaming C-141 sitting in front of them. “No aircraft,” he corrected. “Except this one.”
Joe understood instantly. “We need to get aboard this plane before it takes off. It’s our only chance to stop this.”
Pru offered her services. “Do you want me to go with you?” Her normally defiant expression had returned. She was nothing if not brave.
“No,” Kurt said. “I asked you to lead us here. Not join us on a suicide mission. Time for you to go back to the submarine and get out to sea. But I will ask you for one more favor.”
“Which is?”
Kurt explained what he needed in detail, sent her on her way, and then turned back to Joe. “All right, amigo, you got us into this hangar. Any idea how we can get on that plane without buying a ticket?”
“One or two,” Joe said, glancing around. “But what are we going to do when we get there?”
“This whole thing started with a hijacking,” Kurt said. “I figure we can end it the same way.”