Part 17 (2/2)
”So?”
McCreavy suppressed a sigh. It would not do to let presidential ignorance of the military get to her. ”So it is not going to be all that quick. A modern division uses up hundreds of tons of supply a day. Those supplies have to go by road and rail, mostly. The farther away from base they get, too, the more they use. Right now, if Texas blows the bridges in, we can get about halfway into the state before we simply run out of gas and have to stop.
”Note, too, the expanded forces the Texans have built up? They are just past lunging range, digging in along a line we probably can't get to all that quickly. Though, mind you, if I didn't have to give up a helicopter group to the PGs then I might be able to grab a bridge or two intact.”
”No, Caroline. Nothing is more important than taking the WCF back.”
”But Madame President, the Texans will surely have moved half of the printing ability by now.”
”It's the symbol of the thing, Caroline.”
Carroll cleared his throat. ”Speaking of symbols, Willi, you have a spontaneous demonstration calling for forcible reimposition of law and order on Texas scheduled for about twenty minutes from now. The Marine helicopter is waiting.”
Was.h.i.+ngton, DC
Nothing but the best for the White House; that was the rule. And, if one excepted certain of those elected to sit in the Oval Office, it was a rule that was well followed.
The best, in this case, was a Tandberg 7000 video conferencing system. Though normally the screen was easily split to allow up to thirty-six different partic.i.p.ants to be seen on one screen, in this case-in this very private conversation-only two faces appeared in front of Wilhelmina Rottemeyer. And both of those were in the same room, seated side by side. One she recognized easily as the United States Amba.s.sador to Panama-a political appointee rewarded for major campaign contributions. The other she knew from pictures as the president of that country.
”I want you to stop those guns,” said Rottemeyer to the President of the Republic of Panama. This was in reference to the s.h.i.+pment of Chinese-built medium artillery contracted for by Schmidt due to pa.s.s through the Panama Ca.n.a.l within a few days. ”I need not tell you, Mr. President, that the price for failure to do so will be very heavy.”
The amba.s.sador winced. Though no career diplomat, he had still a reasonable sense of tact and decorum.
The foreign president, a man of middle age, middle paunch, middle complexion, and narrow, beady eyes did not wince. He knew his, his government's, and his country's position in the world, that of supplicant to the United States. He answered. ”But of course. I did not know of it. I will give orders to stop it immediately.”
Austin, Texas
”Telephone, Governor. Someone who calls himself 'Parilla.' Never heard of him.”
Juani hesitated, looking at Jack who likewise expressed his ignorance with a shrug.
”I'll take the call.”
”Governor? This is Raul Dario Parilla from Panama. Think of me as an arms dealer, of sorts. My organization has intercepted the most curious conversation between your President and ours. How? Oh, let's just say that your emba.s.sy here lacks the very best in video conferencing equipment. I would like to send something to you by courier. The... umm...courier's name will be Patricio. Can you arrange to pa.s.s him through your border with Mexico?”
Another unrecognized and disembodied voice answered, in slightly New England accented English, ”I'll be there in forty-eight hours.”
Austin, Texas, The Governor's Mansion
Elpi opened the office door and announced, ”There are two men here to see you, Governor. A 'Patricio' and a 'Carl.' ”
The deeply tanned man with the fierce blue eyes glanced appreciatively at Elpi-a pretty girl was a pretty girl-then shook Schmidt's hand and the Governor's warmly before taking a seat with his a.s.sistant in the governor's home office. Though both the men were clad in civilian dress, it was no difficult task for Schmidt to see through that.
”You're soldiers,” he announced.
”Yes,” admitted the taller of the two, the one who had introduced himself to Elpi as ”Patricio.” ”Rather, we were. Astute of you to notice. Think of us now as being no more than your friendly, neighborhood arms dealers.”
”No astuteness necessary. You walk, you stand, you shake hands like soldiers. A blind man could see it. Moreover, you”-an accusatory finger pointed at Patricio-”sound like you're American...from the northeast, I think.”
The tanned man simply shrugged. ”We both are.” Then he reached into a briefcase and handed over a video tape. ”Watch this. Then we'll talk.”
Schmidt fumbled uncertainly with the tape player in Juanita's office until she, herself, came over and fixed it. Then she and Jack watched the video conference between the two presidents in silence.
When the tape was finished, Patricio made a head gesture to his a.s.sistant who walked to the VCR and retrieved the tape.
Patricio cleared his throat. ”Anyway, that's neither here nor there. I am here to tell you that your heavy weapons s.h.i.+pment from China is going to be stopped.”
”Then we're screwed,” announced Schmidt, simply.
”Not necessarily,” said Patricio. He looked at his a.s.sistant, pointedly. The a.s.sistant shrugged, it's up to you, boss. it's up to you, boss.
Reaching into his briefcase Patricio pulled out a thin sheaf of paper. This he handed over to his a.s.sistant with the question, ”How much of this could you make up?”
The a.s.sistant flipped through pages, occasionally looking upwards to do an apparent mental inventory.
”Carl, here,” explained Patricio, ”is our organization... ummm...you would say 'G-4' or maybe quartermaster. Can you bring your G-4 here, general? Maybe we can help each other.”
Schmidt went to the telephone to call his headquarters.
”Well,” announced Carl after some reflection, ”We do not have exactly exactly the arms these people are going to be losing. But we can make up a fair amount of it. It's going to be lighter stuff, lighter and older, that we can trade you for this.” the arms these people are going to be losing. But we can make up a fair amount of it. It's going to be lighter stuff, lighter and older, that we can trade you for this.”
”Trade?” asked Schmidt.
”Yes,” answered Patricio. ”You sign over the rights to your heavy Chinese arms to us. We provide you with arms, mostly Russian and Chinese, that we currently hold. Though where you trade us a 122-millimeter gun, you are only going to get an 85-millimeter in return.”
”That's piracy,” insisted Schmidt.
”No,” countered Patricio, ”it's business.”
Chapter Twelve.
<script>