Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3) (9 page)

12

Otero’s impending regret would come from a man named Xinzhen, who stood motionless in the enormous pavilion atop the China Club hotel.  Nestled in the traditional hutong area and well-known as one of Beijing’s most lavish hotels, the China Club sprawled out over ten thousand square meters and was composed of several Qing Dynasty pavilions and secluded courtyards.

Xinzhen stood solemnly, less than a meter from the thick glass wall, and peered out at the smog covered city of Beijing.  The day was clearer than expected with only a thin film of pollution obstructing the view.

He scanned the light gray cityscape, noting the eerie shadows belonging to dozens of cranes with their arms rising into the air, even now.  They would be gone soon but for now they remained, serving as ghostly remnants of the largest bubble in human history.  A level of greatness and grueling achievement the world would not see again for hundreds of years.  The world where for decades demand had radically outpaced the supply of natural resources, only to leave the most immense economic vacuum imaginable.

Reality was starting to set in, and like all economic bubbles before it, China’s delusion was now imploding in on itself.  Bursting, and set to leave a wave of destruction in its wake.  It was little comfort for Xinzhen knowing his country was not alone.  Japan, Europe, Britain, and even the U.S., were all on their own precipice.  They had each lost touch with economic reality, but none had matched the sheer insanity of mainland China.  Massive amounts of mal-investment had created not just “bridges to nowhere,” but entire
ghost cities
able to house more than a hundred thousand residents each.  Cities which still remained completely empty as though life had simply vanished from within.  Built out of a construction mania and funded by government money printing, the looming destruction brought on by China’s frenzy would be epic in every sense of the word.

As Xinzhen studied the city from his pavilion, he tried to imagine what it would look like when the money, and more importantly the confidence, was gone.  When all of its citizens rushed for the proverbial “exit” at once.

The collapses of other nations like Argentina and Brazil were already underway and serving as examples of what was to come.  Mass shortages of food, energy, and basic staples were already rampant with citizens bartering for any amounts they could find.  Pianos traded for crates of toilet paper and televisions traded for personal hygiene products were already common.  The shortages in China were going to be just as bad, if not worse.

Xinzhen took a deep breath.  As bad as things were about to become, he cared surprisingly little.  As part of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China, he and the other six members had long been protected by secret plans for their evacuation and survival.  They would be whisked out of the city centers to the majestic mountains of Sihanba far to the north, where vast bunkers had been constructed and stockpiled.  This would allow China’s elite to survive safely for decades…if only they could live that long.

If the impossible
were
to be achieved, it had to be done now.  Before the technical capability was lost forever.  And to do it, Xinzhen was prepared to move Heaven and Earth.

He heard the door open behind him and turned to find his secretary ushering in the man he had been waiting for.  Xinzhen watched the man approach through the suite’s grand entryway and stop in the middle of the expansive room.  He stood erect as Xinzhen stepped away from the window and crossed the room to meet him, hands still behind his back.

“Agent Qin.”

Li Qin bowed slightly.  “Your Eminence.  I am honored in your presence.”

Normally Xinzhen would have left him standing, but instead motioned for the man to join him. He then lowered himself onto the wide circular couch.

He watched Qin sit and stared at him.  They had never met before, but Xinzhen was well aware of the man’s reputation.  As part of the Ministry of State Security agency, Qin was one of the very best the Counterintelligence Bureau had ever seen.  He had a keen intellect and an even keener talent for finding those who did not want to be found.  And in some cases, those who couldn’t be found by anyone else.  Qin’s latest success had been the attainment of details behind China’s recent presidential scandal –– one that allowed the committee to oust the one man who dared challenge them, and with little resistance.  A solution much preferred over normal methods, which would only attract more attention for the committee.  The last thing any of them needed before a revolution.

“Your patriotic work behind Bo Xilai’s treachery has been noticed.  And appreciated.”

Qin bowed again.  “Thank you.  You are very kind.”  He was not surprised by the invitation.  He’d found more than what he was looking for with Bo Xilai, a man who had risen through the ranks of the Communist Party and been considered a candidate for the next seat in the Standing Committee.  But Bo’s corruption ran deep, much deeper than any of them knew.  So deep were his indiscretions that Bo had found himself stripped of his titles, assets, and freedom in less than a month.

Xinzhen leaned back gently into the plush couch.  “Does it surprise you that I am alone?”

Qin grinned respectfully.  “Nothing surprises me, Your Eminence.”

Xinzhen smiled in return.  “Of course.  Do you know why you’re here?”

“I have only guesses.”

“Humor me.”

Qin briefly scanned the room without moving his head.  “The relaxation of security suggests this is not disciplinary related.  But the fact that you are alone makes it unlikely to be a congratulatory acknowledgment either.  Nor are we meeting in a People’s sanctioned location.  I suspect Your Eminence is preparing to assign me a private task of some kind.”

Xinzhen continued observing the man.  Qin was purposely meeting his eyes across the table, barely blinking.  Something that few would do with the head of the Committee and arguably the most powerful person in China.  The man was unafraid, something for which he was known.  He was also willing to do whatever it took to succeed.  A trait not uncommon within the higher levels of China’s government, but eventually most men had their boundaries.  According to his sources, Qin had none.

“What do you know about General Wei?”

If Qin was surprised, he showed no indication.

“General Wei.  Highly decorated.  Perfect service record over a thirty-year career.  A model leader.  And a dead one.  By suicide two weeks ago.”

“Why did he commit suicide?”

Qin replied carefully.  “I’m sure I do not know.”

A trace of Xinzhen’s grin returned.  “Of course.”  He paused a moment.  “Why do you
think
he killed himself?”

“It is rumored that he was given an important task by the Committee and failed.”

Failed was an understatement
.  “What do you know of his task?”

“Only that it was in South America.  I do not know of what or why.  No one does,” he added.

“The truth is, General Wei failed his people worse than any soldier in the history of our great country.  A man who will be known as China’s greatest traitor.”

Qin tilted his head slightly but said nothing.

“Wei is the epitome of everything that is wrong with the country and why its demise is assured.  In our darkest hour, he was given the highest honor and the most critical mission in China’s history.  Yet, instead of honor, he chose secrecy and betrayal of his people and his country.  He acted like a
capitalist
.  His treachery has cost our country dearly.  He murdered his own men and destroyed our ships.  He deceived us from the beginning, then took his own life to keep the truth from his superiors.  And still we do not know why.”

Xinzhen took a breath before continuing. “Your talents and your service to China have been exceptionally faithful.  You are highly trusted as a man who knows what it takes to maintain that trust.  For these reasons, I have chosen you.”

Qin dropped his head.  “Thank you, Your Eminence.  I am deeply grateful for your words.  It would be my honor to serve you in whatever manner I can.”

“Excellent.”  Xinzhen stared across the small space with his powerful dark eyes.  “You are to find out why.  Why Wei chose to desert his country, and most importantly, what he was hiding.  What he hides still in death.”

“It will be done, My Eminence.  With all of my ability.”

Xinzhen nodded approvingly.  “And your communication is to be with me, and me alone.”

Qin exited the elevator at the bottom floor.  Without a word, he crossed over the marble flooring through the lobby and left the hotel, emerging back into the stale, thick air.  The tops of the skyscrapers disappeared into the sickly gray sky above, giving them an eerie appearance.

The valet approached with Qin’s car, a black BMW M6, and quickly jumped out, holding the door open.  Once inside, Qin turned up the air conditioner to purify the air inside.  The smog was better today, but he could still taste a trace of the metallic sourness on his tongue.

Once beyond the hotel grounds, he merged with the heavier traffic and headed east toward Xinhua, recounting the details of the meeting.  Xinzhen’s posture had shown subtle signs of nervousness.  And his seething for General Wei seemed somehow exaggerated.  Qin knew of Wei.  He also knew that Wei had been one of the least politically aligned military figures in the army. 

He decided he was more surprised that Wei had somehow turned the tables on the Committee than he was over Wei’s suicide.  Wei was a smart man, which meant he clearly would have understood that crossing the Committee would only be done by someone who did not fear retribution.

Qin thought again about the oddness in the old man’s seeming hatred for Wei.  Particularly when considering that Xinzhen didn’t know what the General had been hiding.

In the penthouse, Xinzhen was back at the window gazing outward again.  There wasn’t much time left.  The government’s façade was beginning to crumble quickly now.  The propaganda and misinformation were wearing thin and would only last so long.  The real question was whether someone like Qin would turn something up soon enough.  And whether he could indeed be trusted.

But Xinzhen had little choice.  He had to take a chance, especially now.  The price was simply too high, and as much as he would like to fully trust Qin, he couldn’t.  He had to assume that Qin may already be loyal to one of the other Committee members, and if so, he wondered whether they somehow knew more than Xinzhen did.

It was why he didn’t tell Qin everything, including the sinking of the American research vessel or the details around the destruction of their own warship. 

The Committee had potentially started a war with the United States in order for their ship to escape, but it was Wei who stunned them all by suddenly sinking both their ship and its precious cargo.

Nothing made sense. 
Why did Wei do it?  And more importantly…why hadn’t the Americans said a word about the attack on their ship?

13

Langford looked around the table and sighed.  The “war room” at the White House was in complete disarray and the situation was deteriorating rapidly.  For those who believed the planning around potential military excursions was always careful and deliberate, in this case, they could not have been more wrong.

Langford watched Fred Collier, the new Chief of Naval Operations, show his frustration as he insisted that they were losing the opportunity for a swift and decisive counterattack over the loss of the Bowditch and its men.  He pounded the table again, this time harder.  Next to him, and not surprisingly, Sam Johnston, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, was in complete agreement.

Across the dark walnut table, however, Merl Miller, the Secretary of Defense, was not so sure.  He and President Carr sat side by side, listening to the lengthening outbursts of both military heads.

Collier tried to regain his composure.  “What I’m saying is that the political ramifications of us
not
acting are far greater than those if we do.  They have directly challenged the sovereign power of the United States, and unless we show them clearly and definitively the repercussions of such an attack, our reputation
and
our resolve will be questioned by more than just China! Showing weakness now threatens the loss of our military supremacy.  To other nations, this delay won’t look like deliberation, it will look like fear!” 

He lowered both hands onto the table before continuing.  “We know it was the Chinese and we can prove it!  We have to release the information now before they begin distancing themselves with propaganda!” 

“Agreed,” added Johnston.  “The sooner we get NATO behind us, the better.  China is going to spin the hell out of this.  We’ve waited too long already.”

“Too long?” asked President Carr.  “Too long?  Do I need to remind everyone here that just days ago we thought we had been attacked by the
Russians
?!”  He looked around the table.  “I’d say it’s a damn good thing we did wait too long.”

“Mr. President,” Collier replied, jabbing the table with his finger.  “It was my men who verified the Comp-B signature.  There is no doubt in my mind it’s the Chinese.  Zero!”

Carr stared intently at his Naval Chief.  “Okay, let’s assume it is.  Tell me, Admiral, how exactly does your recommended response differ now that it’s the Chinese and not the Russians?”

The question was like a dagger through Collier’s argument.  There was no difference, and everyone at the table knew it.

“I hope I’m not the only one at the table that remembers our foreign policy with China is different than with Russia.”

Collier took a deep breath.  “Mr. President, may I point out that the relationship between Russia and China continues to grow stronger by the day?  It won’t be long before there
is no difference
in our policies.”

“Except being twice as big,” Miller smirked.

Collier slapped the table.  “Which only underscores the need to respond now.”

Johnston nodded his head.  “Agreed.  The last thing we need is this turning into another mess.”

“Do you know what you’re saying?!” responded Miller in a raised voice.  “One counter response after another, until we’re on the brink of war.  Where do you think this leads if this time we
start
with a counterattack?!”

“Please,” Collier scoffed, “this is different.  The Chinese have screwed up and they know it.  They’ll back down when everyone else knows it too.”

“And what if they don’t?” asked Carr.  “What if they raise the stakes instead?  The Russians didn’t back down and we had all of Europe behind us.  What if the Chinese don’t admit responsibility
or
back down?  Are you suggesting we fight
two
wars?”

“I’m suggesting we won’t have to.”

Listening from the giant screen at the other end of the table, the Air Force Chief shook his head.  “Trying to predict the actions of the Chinese is damn dangerous.  We’ve been wrong before, and more than once.”

Collier looked up at the screen.  “There’s a big difference between predicting monetary policy and military strategy, General.”

“Is there?” Langford asked.

“You’re kidding, right?”

Langford stared back at Collier.  “I don’t think we’re in a position to predict anything the Chinese might do.”  He turned toward Carr.  “With all due respect, Mr. President, I think we’re losing sight here.”

“Explain.”

“We’re thinking almost exclusively in terms of retaliation.  But I think we would be better served to think more about their intent.  Remember, their Corvette ship was trying to leave port and
we
were about to ram the damn thing.  But it’s likely the Corvette couldn’t have done anything even if it wanted to.  Their hidden sub fired on the Bowditch defensively.  If it were an offensive attack, they could have done it sooner, not at the last second.  But they were there to make sure the Corvette warship made it out in one piece because of what it was carrying.”

Langford paused, making eye contact with everyone.  “In fact, I’m not convinced they intended to attack the Bowditch until they had no choice.  And if that’s true, this posturing is going to get us nowhere.  It’s a sideshow with our only options being more dangerous escalations.”

Langford continued.  “What this is really about is that cargo.  We already know what was in those plants.  So unless the Chinese intended to attack all along, it was simply the value of their cargo that left them no choice but to fight their way out.  The fact that their sub hadn’t moved means they were prepared for more than one scenario.”

“What are you suggesting, Admiral?” asked Collier.  “To ignore the fact they destroyed our ship and killed a fifth of its crew?”

“What I’m suggesting is we may very well find our counterattack provokes them into an ever-increasing escalation that they never had any interest in pursuing.  And in the meantime, while we prepare to burn our resources to show the world who’s mightier,
they
are quietly sending over a dozen vessels into the Atlantic to search for anything left of those plants.  In other words, our sabre rattling may simply end up providing them the opportunity they need to keep us busy.  While they recover what was clearly important enough to start a fight over in the first place.”

Carr looked at him pensively.  “You’re suggesting we go after it ourselves.”

“Correct.”

“Even though we’re still not sure why they sank their own ship only hours after escaping from Georgetown.”

“I’m not sure it matters, Mr. President.”

The President raised an eyebrow.

“Cleary something went wrong.  Whether it’s a coup within their government or just a catastrophic mistake, it’s crystal clear what they really care about.”

“Maybe they realized there was something dangerous onboard,” Collier said sarcastically.

Langford considered it.  “It’s possible.  But they’re still sending every ship they have to salvage it.”

“So, we try to get there first.”

“Exactly.”

“And you don’t think,” Collier replied, “that our own salvage ships trying to get there before theirs will create an escalation?”

“Not if we don’t
send
our salvage ships.”

Miller stared at him from across the table with a puzzled expression.  “I’m not following.”

“Commander Lawton was the primary researcher of the plant sample we stole from the Chinese.  She’s confident that based on its cellular structure, and the fact that salt water is almost the perfect solvent, there isn’t going to be much for China to recover in the Atlantic.  Not to mention the area was still burning four days later from thousands of gallons of spilled diesel fuel.”

“I’m afraid you’ve lost me,” Carr said.  “If there’s nothing left to recover, how then are you proposing we go after it?”

After a deep breath, Langford turned back to the President.  “There may be two other ways to grab what the Chinese are after…before they can.  One is through the DNA of a small monkey.  And the other may be in a box shipped to Beijing, one that the Chinese government may not even realize they have.”

President Carr, who was leaning back in his black leather chair, suddenly leaned forward. 

“What did you just say?”