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〃e on； Yuriy； you have to see this。〃
〃General；〃 Major Tucker said by way of greeting。 Then he saw a second one。 〃General；〃 he said again。
〃This is General Sinyavskiy。 He mands Two…Six…Five。 Would you please show him the advancing Chinese？〃 It wasn't a question or a request； just phrased politely because Tucker was a foreigner。
〃Okay； it's right here； sir； we've got it all on videotape。 Their leading reconnaissance elements are 。。。 here； and their leading main…force units are right here。〃
〃Fuck；〃 Sinyavskiy observed in Russian。 〃Is this MAGIC？〃
〃No； this is…〃 Bondarenko switched languages。 〃Which unit is this； Major？〃
〃Grace Kelly again； sir。 To Catch a Thief with Cary Grant； Hitchcock movie that one was。 The sun'll be down in another hour or so and we'll be getting it all on the thermal…imaging systems。 Anyway； here's their leading battalion； all look like their Type…90 tanks。 They're keeping good formation discipline； and they just refueled about an hour ago； so； figure they're good for another two hundred or so kilometers before they stop again。〃
〃Their artillery？〃
〃Lagging behind； sir； except for this tracked unit here。〃 Tucker played with the mouse some and brought up another picture。
〃Gennady Iosifovich； how can we fail with such information？〃 the division mander asked。
〃Yuriy； remember when we thought about attacking the Americans？〃
〃Madness。 The Chinks can't see this drone？〃 Sinyavskiy asked； somewhat incredulously。
〃It's stealthy； as they call it； invisible on radar。〃
〃Nichevo。〃
〃Sir； I have a direct line to our headquarters at Zhigansk。 If you guys are going to make a stand； what do you want from us？' Tucker asked。 〃I can forward your request to General Wallace。〃
〃I have thirty Su…25 attack bombers and also fifty Su…24 fighter bombers standing by； plus two hundred Mi…24 helicopters。〃 Getting the last in theater had been agonizingly slow； but finally they were here； and they were the Ace of Diamonds Bondarenko had facedown on the card table。 He hadn't let so much as one approach the area of operations yet； but they were two hundred kilometers away； fueled and armed； their flight crews flying to practice their airmanship and shooting live weapons as rehearsal…for some； the first live weapons they'd ever shot。
〃That's going to be a surprise for good old Joe；〃 Tucker observed with a whistle。 〃Where'd you hide them； sir？ Hell； General； I didn't know they were around。〃
〃There are a few secure places。 We want to give our guests a proper greeting when the time is right；〃 Gennady Iosifovich told the young American officer。
〃So； what do you want us to do； sir？〃
〃Take down their logistics。 Show me this Smart Pig you've been talking to Colonel Tolkunov about。〃
〃That we can probably do； sir；〃 Tucker said。 〃Let me get on the phone to General Wallace。〃
〃So； they're turning me loose？〃 Wallace asked。 〃As soon as contact is imminent between Russian and Chinese ground forces。〃 Mickey Moore then gave him his targets。 〃It's most of the things you wanted to hit； Gus。〃
〃I suppose；〃 the Air Force mander allowed； somewhat grudgingly。 〃And if the Russians ask for help？〃
〃Give it to them； within reason。〃
〃Right。〃
LTC Giusti； SABRE SIX； got off the helicopter at the Number Two fueling point and walked toward General Diggs。
〃They weren't kidding；〃 Colonel Masterman was saying。 〃This is a fuckin' lake。〃 One and a quarter billion liters translated to more than three hundred million gallons； or nearly a million tons of fuel； about the carrying capacity of four supertankers； all of Number Two Diesel； or close enough that the fuel injectors on his tanks and Bradleys wouldn't notice the difference。 The manager of the site； a civilian； had said that the fuel had been there for nearly forty years； since Khrushchev had had a falling…out with Chairman Mao； and the possibility of war with the other munist country had turned from an impossibility into a perceived likelihood。 Either it was remarkable prescience or paranoid wish fulfillment； but in either case it worked to the benefit of First Armored Division。
The off…loading facilities could have been better； but the Soviets evidently hadn't had much experience with building gas stations。 It was more efficient to pump the fuel into the division's fuel bowsers； which then motored off to fill the tanks and tracks four or six at a time。
〃Okay； Mitch； what do we have on the enemy？〃 General Diggs asked his intelligence officer。
〃Sir； we've got a Dark Star tasked directly to us now； and she'll be up for another nine hours。 We're up against a leg…infantry division。 They're forty kilometers that way； mainly sitting along this line of hills。 There's a regiment of Chim tanks supporting them。〃
〃Artillery？〃
〃Some light and medium； all of it towed； setting up now； with fire…finder radars we need to worry about；〃 Colonel Turner warned。
〃I've asked General Wallace to task some F…16s with HARMs to us。 They can tune the seekers on those to the millimeter…band the fire…finders use。〃
〃Make that happen；〃 Diggs ordered。
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Duke； how long to contact？〃 the general asked his operations officer。
〃If we move on schedule； we'll be in their neighborhood about zero…two…hundred。〃
〃Okay； let's get the brigade manders briefed in。 We party just after midnight；〃 Diggs told his staff； not even regretting his choice of words。 He was a soldier about to go into bat； and with that came a different and not entirely pleasant way of thinking。
CHAPTER 57
Hyperwar
It had been rather a tedious couple of days for USS Tucson。 She'd been camped out on 406 for sixteen days； and was holding station seventeen thousand yards…eight and a half nautical miles…astern of the Chinese boomer； with a nuclear…powered fast…attack camped out just to the south of it at the moment。 The SSN； at least； supposedly had a name； Hai Long； the intelligence weenies said it was。 But to Tucson's sonarman； 406 was Sierra…Eleven； and Hai Long was Sierra…Twelve； and so they were known to the fire…control tracking party。
Tracking both targets was not demanding。 Though both had nuclear power plants； the reactor systems were noisy； especially the feed pumps that ran cooling water through the nuclear pile。 That； plus the sixty…hertz generators； made for two pairs of bright lines on the waterfall sonar display； and tracking both was about as difficult as watching two blind men in an empty shopping mall parking lot at high noon on a cloudless day。 But it was more interesting than tracking whales in the North Pacific； which some of PACFLT's boats had been tasked to do of late； to keep the tree…huggers happy。
Things had gotten a little more interesting lately。 Tucson ran to periscope/antenna depth twice a day； and the crew had learned； much to everyone's surprise； that Chinese and American armed forces were trading shots in Siberia； and that meant； the crew figured； that 406 might have to be made to disappear； and that was a mission； and while it might not exactly be fun； it was what they were paid to do； which made it a worthwhile activity。
406 had submarine…launched ballistic missiles aboard； twelve Ju Lang…1 CSS…N…3s； each