Charles Taylor - Show of Force

"These island nations" — his hand was sweeping down the archipelago of the Malay peninsula to the Indonesian island— "are so rich in minerals, oil, and what-have-you that the winner isn't going to have to worry about imports into the next century. And last but not least, our old ally Australia, who loves us." He shrugged, "They're on our side, too, but I think they'd stick with us even if we invaded Perth.

"Now, the most important point, Sam, is that not one of those other countries or just about any others in the world will come out and support us now. We didn't take them into our confidence earlier about Islas Piedras, and their only information at this point is that speech from Moscow. They can only believe what they're told, and they got a bellyful about aggression, oceanic hegemony, capitalism, Soviet love of the Third and Fourth Worlds, and a lot of the standard bullshit, too."

"No choice," Sam interjected.

"If you were to listen to the President, you'd believe they were all correct in their initial reaction," exploded the Secretary of State. Then, more quietly, "No, they really don't have any other choice at this point. They've got to stick with a winner, and right now they think the Russians have us by the balls. You remember our position over Cuba. We were talking about it not too long back?"

"Too well."

"Remember, right was on our side. We invoked the Monroe Doctrine, God, everything Kennedy and his boys could think of, and laid it out nice and neat for the world to look at before Khrushchev had a chance to respond. Made him look like an asshole, too," he added with a smile in an un-Secretarylike way. "I was there, too, at the time. Too junior to do much but listen in awe in the corridors of power, so to speak. Well, now that's where we are, Sam. Hardly a friend in the world."

"I would think we could have attracted the same support if we could have finished the construction and gotten the base operative."

"Oh, no doubt about it. All those unstable countries looking for the right superpower to tag along with would have jumped right on the bandwagon. Then we would have had control of one hell of a lot of property."

"I take it the concept still doesn't wash up at the White House."

"What the White House doesn't understand yet is that control of the west coast of Africa will lead to control of the east coast, and then the Soviets have an easy shot at South America. It hasn't necessarily worked that way for us in the South Atlantic, since control of that ocean has always been ours and we still don't have a lot to show for it. And, I guess the same goes for the Pacific. We've had the western Pacific since the end of the last world war, but it hasn't done much for our influence in the communities that border the Indian Ocean on the other side." He stopped and took a chair across from Admiral Carter, waiting for a response.

Finally it came. "Tom, the Soviets are claiming Islas Piedras isn't finished and therefore it's easy to force us off. But, there's no way we can finish before they call that bluff."

"That's where the President and I disagree wholeheartedly. It took a hell of a lot to get him to give us even twenty-four hours to try to pull it off. We have to convince each bordering state, not to mention Russia who may not be absolutely sure, that the launchers are complete and armed, and that we stand ready to protect the entire Indian Ocean sphere. If our ambassadors in each place can get that idea across, all we need is one or two countries to change their minds, preferably at least one that's been leaning toward Moscow for a while, and I think we'll be able to get the rest."

Admiral Carter leaned back in his chair, sighing deeply. "If only I had a chance to talk to David now, to explain it to him that quickly, I'd feel a hell of a lot better now. With the battering he's sustained he must be wondering just what in the hell it's all for." He peered intently into Jasperson's eyes. "David's not a simple man, Tom. He's a very complex person. A hell of a warrior when it's necessary, but he always needs a reason. He's no damn-the-torpedos-and-teil-me-why-later type."

"I realize that, Sam."

But Admiral Carter hadn't finished. "It would be a hell of a lot easier if he was facing an obvious enemy, someone of a different color, or someone out to conquer the world. He needs someone to hate!" He was warming to his point. "Tom, Alex Kupinsky is just like David in a lot of respects. Same color. Same intelligence. Same interests. Their wives are like sisters. They've been writing each other since that tour they had in London together. For that matter, you might as well consider David and Alex friends. They know each other's minds so well, they don't need any computer to tell them what the other may do."

Jasperson said nothing. The two men looked at each other and then at their hands for a while, looked out the window, then back at each other.

"Perhaps Gorenko's thinking the same thing we are — time! Whatever, your Admiral David Charles has to hold out for the next twenty hours. That's all the time I have to sway a little world opinion and get the President on my side. Otherwise, to borrow a Navy expression, we're going to be ten feet lower than whale shit."

"Let's try to get on the pipe to Admiral Collier again."

"You mean Ambassador Simpson, don't you?" the Secretary smiled.

"Yes, if that'll make the President happy."

Shortly after Carter stepped from the room to ask the anxious comm officer to try the Moscow embassy, they were told that Collier was on the line.

Admiral Carter spoke into the phone. "Is that you, Bob?"

"Right here, Admiral. Ambassador Simpson's with me also."

"Let's not waste time, Bob. Admiral Gorenko's probably listening to us with his hand over the phone." It was a weak joke. He explained the reaction around the Indian Ocean to a certain point. Then, he gave the code words to identify the onetime system they would use.

In as few previously well-chosen words as possible, he covered the status of Islas Piedras, the losses on both sides, and the necessary tactics they wanted Collier and Simpson to undertake.

It took less than thirty seconds. Carter knew it would be recorded in both the embassy and the Kremlin, but only the Navy would be able to decode it.

"Secretary Jasperson would like to say a few words to Ambassador Simpson, Bob. Good luck."

Jasperson began, "I just wanted to assure you that everything's going fine on our end, Jack. How about the repairs at the embassy?"

But there was no answer. The circuit was dead.

Admiral Gorenko was furious, literally unable to speak. But he had enough presence of mind to give the signal to break the American land line. He had expected to hear more, and knew they would attempt to use some type of code. And he knew they would both record it. Unfortunately, he had not expected it to be so short, a factor that would make breaking it that much harder. He was not familiar with the American onetime system, or he might not have let the conversation last as long as it did. But what had upset him the most was the attitude of both the Secretary of State and that Assistant to the CNO. He had them where he wanted them, and yet they sounded so damn sure of themselves it angered him.

The Americans were guilty of every type of aggression in the Indian Ocean, and then some. Yet they were acting so cocksure even when he was positive his intelligence photos showed the launchers were still incomplete. They could not let any other country in the sphere even so much as think that perhaps the installation was already done and that the Soviets instead of the Americans would be held at bay.

He must have Alex press on, he thought. They must get on to that island and show the world that Islas Piedras was not yet complete, that it was time for the Americans to shrink — back within their own continent. He would hazard a direct voice contact with Alex, and make his point quite clear. Plus, he wanted the Nimitz sunk!