Dale Brown - Sky Masters

“Silence, Ambassador O’Day, ” the chairman of the executive council, the ambassador from Indonesia, said. “You are not permitted to speak in this forum.. She ignored him. “I would like proof that it was an American weapon that detonatedoff your shores, as you claim. This council has been given substantial evidence that it was a Chinese warhead-“

“Lies, ” Ambassador Perez spat. “I demand that this woman be removed from our presence and that her government apologize for her insulting behavior . “Sit up and take it like a man, Ambassador, ” O’Day said evenly. “After all, I’m only a woman. That was too much for the ASEAN delegates; even the Brunei Crown Prince, who could not keep his lascivious eyes off her and had nodded approval when she first spoke up, shook his head. “Ambassador O’Day, you have been granted observer status only, ” the chairman said. “You are not permitted to speak. You will not be warned again. Ambassador Perez, continue with your statement.” “Thank you. My country has been bled by the former regime’s failed economic policies and by American imperialism. The Chinese were victims of rebel aggression as well. When they offered humanitarian aid after the nuclear attack-a gesture that was not made by any other nation until days later, including many nations represented here-we also requested assistance in quelling the well-armed and bloodthirsty rebels . “You ought to write techno-thrillers, Mr. Perez, ” the Crown Prince from Brunei said with a laugh. “They are very popular in my country. Unfortunately, your lies are not.” Perez pressed on. “I urge my fellow delegates to vote to disapprove sanctions against my country and to follow continued relief and police efforts by the Chinese government. My people beg for your help and understanding. Thank you.” He turned and gave O’Day a murderous glare, then stared straight ahead, waiting for the Council’s decision. “The resolution before the council would approve full economic sanctions against the Republic of China and the Philippines, ” the chairman summarized, “and would restrict all trade and commerce with China, and would authorize the Association to implement all policies and invoke all measures to urge China to withdraw its military forces from all members’ territorial or disputed waters. We vote by open-voice ballot. Five votes are required to pass the resolution. If all discussion is concluded, please record your vote.” One by one, they voted. Indonesia. Malaysia. Singapore. The Kingdom of Brunei. All in favor of the resolution. The Philippines voted against it. As did Thailand, who along with Vietnam-the last two ASEAN countries to vote-had waived any closing arguments to the resolution. That had O’Day worried. She had tried to talk to each ambassador before the meeting, but had no luck. Both were critical countries; both had borders with China, and their huge neighbor was always a major presence in any political and military situation. But both were members of ASEAN to counter China’s influence, and so far it was working. They finally had the political clout to stand up to their powerful neighbor. “The kingdom of Thailand, ” its ambassador said, “is convinced that such a resolution, made in the heat of passion and without extensive study and debate, would be counterproductive. As much as Thailand seeks an end to violence and fear, we cannot support such a resolution without further study. Thailand abstains.” O’Day couldn’t believe it. Of all countries, Thailand stood to lose the most if China were allowed to exert a greater influence in the region; she had never expected them to abstain. That left Vietnam as the deciding vote. They would have to vote yes, O’Day thought. After all, Vietnam and China were all but enemies. True, Vietnam was the only Communist country in ASEAN, and true, Vietnam and China had once been uneasy allies, but. “Republic of Vietnam.”

“Vietnam abstains.” Deborah O’Day shot to her feet in absolute shock. “What!” she shouted. “You’re abstaining? Why?” The chairman was pounding his gavel over the sudden flurry of excited voices. “Ambassador O’Day, your outbursts will not be tolerated! You are ordered to leave. I will have order in this chamber… “I want an explanation!” O’Day shouted. Security guards were quickly rushing to her side. “Don’t you understand? You’re handing over the keys to your cities to the Chinese if you don’t stop them now!” O’Day was still shouting as she was unceremoniously pulled to her feet and half-dragged, half-escorted to the rear of the conference room and outside. Her aide was deposited beside her a few moments later. “I don’t believe this, ” O’Day told her aide as they made their way to the entrance. What the hell is going on? Vietnam should certainly be opposed to Chinese aggression. … Something is very odd…”

“We’ve got to notify Washington about this immediately, ” her aide said as they made their way to the limousine. “We’ll have to brief the President… The Marine Corps driver from the embassy staff, in full dress blues-spotless white gloves, white belt with .45-caliber sidearm, spit-shined boots, and round hat with the brim pulled down so low it almost obscured his racing-style sunglassesquickly stepped around from the driver’s side to the curbside rear door, opened it, and stood at attention as O’Day and her aide entered the car. “How’s the traffic on Bukit Timah Road, Corporal?” she asked her driver distractedly. He grunted a perfunctory, Poor, ma’am, ” in reply and quickly closed the door. “Go ahead and take the central avenue to Government House, then, ” O’Day’s aide said as the driver re-entered the limousine. “Call ahead and ask Communications to get a line open for us.” The driver pulled out into the traffic and, with usual Marine flair and urgency, roared down the wide central city avenue toward Singapore’s Embassy Row. “China’s just been given the green light to occupy the Philippines and make a grab for the rest of the Pacific, ” O’Day’s aide said. “The President won’t have any choice but to respond militarily.”

“But he won’t like it, ” O’Day said. “He wants the endorsement of some Pacific Rim government or organization before he commits troops, and he just lost the most important one. God, is he going to be pissed.”

“This will be one phone call I don’t envy you, ” her aide said. He turned to the Marine Corps driver. “Corporal, you didn’t call the embassy communications office like the ambassador asked. Now please do it.” His order was answered with a clunk! as the locks on all the doors engaged. O’Day immediately scanned all the windows, looking for pursuing cars or any sign of a threat; there were none. Her aide immediately reached down below the seat to the hidden compartment where a Uzi submachine gun was stored. “Corporal, why’d you lock the doors?” O’Day asked. “What’s going on?” “The Uzi’s gone, ” her aide said. He fingered the door unlock buttons and power window switches-none were operable. “What the hell is going on?” He reached for the cellular phone in the backseat, but the “Ready” lights were all out-the phone too was dead. A .45-caliber Colt semiautomatic pistol appeared in the hand of the driver; he showed it to O’Day and her aide but then immediately lowered it, out of view. “Please sit still and do not try anything foolish, ” the driver said. “You will not be harmed unless you try to resist.” It was not until O’Day looked at the man through the rearview mirror that she realized he was wearing sunglasses-their Marine driver had not been wearing them before because of the early hour and overcast skies. “Where’s our driver?”

“Safely asleep in the trunk, Ambassador O’Day, ” the man replied. “He put up quite a struggle before we could subdue him. He will awaken in a few minutes.” The driver eased off the main avenue toward a hotel parking lot where the car could be partially obscured, but not appear too conspicuously isolated. He parked the car and immediately began removing the uniform. “What are you going to do with us?”