Colt's Crisis

by Tom Carroll

  “It’s a lot easier when the target’s not shooting back,” murmered Colt to himself.

  Colt knew that operating a weapon while under direct fire was the most demanding thing he had ever had to do. And the experience still haunted him. Meanwhile, Lenny and Anna silently looked at one another and then at the older man as he carefully placed his pistol back into its case. After the three civilians left the firing range, Senior Chief Steadman examined Colt’s target again and commented to no one in particular, “I’m glad he was shooting at a paper target and not at me!”

  Secure Video Conference Room, the Reagan

  The video connection with the White House Situation Room had been open and thoroughly tested for over an hour to ensure that once the meeting got started, the system would be operational and ready. Seated in the conference room in the Reagan were Colt Garrett, Lenny Wilson, and Rear Admiral Joe Carlisle. At the center of the table was a control screen for the video system and two omnidirectional microphones. All three men were turned toward a large, high-definition video monitor, which showed the Situation Room conference table, thousands of miles away. Seated around that table were Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Holmes, CIA Director Michelle Walker, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General David Schmidt, Secretary of State Jonathan Unger, and President William C. Harrison. President Harrison initiated the meeting. “Michelle, will you start by bringing us up to date?”

  CIA Director Walker positioned a microphone in front of her and began her presentation.

  “Gentlemen, over the past several days our intelligence community has been able to confirm with a high degree of confidence that North Korean claims that U.S. biological warheads, which were stolen years ago from our own stockpile in South Korea, are still in South Korea and being held at an undisclosed location. We believe that back in 1991, during Bush 41’s term as president, nine warheads containing Anthrax 455, a mutated version of the biologcal agent with the codename, ALPINE LANCER, were somehow illegally removed from an outgoing shipment. At that time, we were removing all biological weapons from the Korean peninsula. We’re currently gathering more specific information regarding that theft and who was involved. Now, back to the present: As long as North Korea believes the South is hiding weapons of mass destruction within their borders, we believe they will never agree to reduce their own weapons programs. So, the purpose of today’s meeting is to create a strategy to find those weapons, and once we do, develop plans to recover them.”

  “You mentioned Anthrax 455 is a mutated version of Anthrax. Wasn’t regular Anthrax bad enough?” the president asked. General Schmidt promptly responded to the question.

  “Mr. President, Anthrax 455, or ALPINE LANCER, was developed by the Army to facilitate more effective airborne dispersal of the agent. We destroyed all of those weapons years ago, or at least we thought we did.” The president considered the combined destructive capacity of the nine missing warheads and wondered fleetingly if his presidency would someday be defined by the existance of these horrific weapons.

  The CIA director continued, “The South Koreans publicly deny that they have our warheads, but they have also requested that we send a delegation to Seoul to discuss the issue. We don’t know why they want to talk, but we believe it’s worthwhile to hear what they have to say. We do know there are factions within South Korean military leadership that don’t support their government’s efforts to thaw relations with the North. We’ve also considered that the weapons may exist in South Korea without President Kim’s knowledge. This theft would have occurred almost 30 years ago. It’s hard to know how many people might even be aware of the warheads’ existence.”

  The president turned to face General Schmidt. “General, don’t we have systems that can remotely detect biological weapons?” he asked.

  Before the General could answer, Steve Holmes jumped in. “Yes, sir, we do have aircraft-deployed systems that can detect the presence of several types of biological agents. It would take hours just to explain the the basics of the underlying science and technology involved. But their use would require that the aircraft overfly most of South Korea. Our lawyers have cautioned us that the use of these systems could be interpreted as an act of war. I don’t see how we could use these planes in this situation.”

  Colt pushed a button on a console to unmute the room’s microphone. “Garrett here, sir. We do have an experimental system on one of our geosynchronous birds.” He was referring to the DOD’s reconnaissance satellites capable of maintaining a stable position over a point on the earth’s surface. “Its function is similar to the air-breathing platforms, except we don’t have to violate sovereign airspace to use it. Its code name is SISTINE BEACON, and initial testing has been very positive.”

  The president leaned forward. “Sistine? Like the chapel in the Vatican?”

  General Schmidt smiled. “Exactly, Mr. President. You’ve seen Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine chapel where the hand of God gives life by pointing a single finger, but not actually touching Adam? SISTINE BEACON is like that pointing finger. Imagine a laser-focused beam of light pointing down at the earth. But the problem is that it’s an experimental system, and very, very slow. SISTINE BEACON takes a full hour to scan a target area of two square miles, and South Korea encompasses nearly 39,000 square miles. It would take SISTINE BEACON over two years to scan the entire country!”

  Garrett offered, “But if we were able to localize the general target area first, the scanning could then be done much more efficiently. The warheads would have to be in some sort of secure facility with military control. The Agency could work with our team at Defense to identify and prioritize target areas, and we could start from there.”

  Admiral Carlisle leaned toward Lenny and said, “I’m glad I’m not in Billy Harrison’s shoes right now. This mess is going to turn out bad, and I don’t want to be anywhere near it or him when it does.”

  Almost in unison, the people in the White House Situation Room looked with disbelief at Admiral Carlisle on the video system, prompting him to take note of the illuminated green light on the table microphone, which indicated it was unmuted, or live. No one spoke for several moments until the president broke the silence. “Well, thank you for your unwavering support, Admiral Carlisle.”

  Carlisle turned red and glared at the green light on the microphone. Lenny pushed a button to mute the mic and quietly assured the admiral, “It’s okay. It’s off now.”

  The president, clearing his throat, said, “Let’s move on.” He turned to the secretary of state and asked him, “Jon, what are your thoughts regarding sending a delegation to Seoul? What do we have to gain?”

  The experienced career diplomat was already prepared with an answer. “I agree with Director Walker, Mr. President. We need to hear what President Kim has to say, and perhaps more importantly, how he says it. I also believe it is key to have the meeting as soon as possible to get a read on the present situation. I recommend we send our new secretary of defense to Seoul. He’s just a few hours away, and although he is not a diplomat, that may demonstrate to the South Koreans that we see this as a pressing national security issue, rather than solely as a diplomatic concern.”

  Colt Garrett wondered if the secretary of state wasn’t also trying to distance himself from the problem and for the same reason so eloquently voiced by Admiral Carlisle.

  The president breathed deeply. “I like it. Colt, work with Jon to set up your visit. I want you in Seoul by mid-day tomorrow. Meet with President Kim and see what you can learn. Make sure Kim understands that we won’t tolerate South Korea keeping our warheads. We’re getting them back, one way or another.”

  After the president had left the Situation Room, Secretary Unger spoke up again. “Colt, we have some work to do. I’ll be in touch!” He pushed a button and disconnected the video call.

  Gathering up his notes, Colt stood, turned to Admiral Carlisle and remarked with a grin, “You know, Joe, I’m not too sure about a future for you i
n politics.”

  Colt and Lenny exited the room together, leaving Carlisle alone to contemplate the damage done by his tactless comment. The now rattled one-star admiral remained seated at the table and put his head in his hands. He knew he was running out of viable career options. He would find himself a laughingstock, he feared. An embarrassment to his family and his reputation. And it was all thanks to that son of a bitch, Colt Garrett. The longer Garrett was on this ship, the bleaker his future looked. He knew he should just make a bold move against Garrett. It was a huge risk, but one he was willing to take.

  Headquarters, Republic of Korea Marine Corps, Hwaseong, South Korea

  General Cho arrived at his headquarters and headed directly to his office. The speed at which the North Koreans had responded to the information he had strategically planted with Colonel Chang was alarming, telling him that whatever means Chang was using to transmit information was incredibly efficient. Chang had been on his shortlist of those he suspected of leaking information, and now his suspicions were, disturbingly, confirmed.

  Now Cho needed more details regarding Chang’s activities, as it was critical to know the extent of his conspiracy. He decided to have a team install a full surveillance package in Chang’s apartment. A few phone calls later, and he had arranged for not only the equipment installation but also a diversion that would get Chang and his girlfriend out of the apartment to allow for the surveillance equipment to be placed without raising his suspicion.

  Later that evening, General Cho was sitting at his desk when his direct phone line rang. “Yes, what is it?”

  “Mission complete,” the caller said.

  Cho smiled and asked, “What are the details?”

  “We phoned in a natural gas leak, so the police evacuated the entire city block, including the colonel’s girlfriend, who was in the apartment at the time. She called him once she was standing in the street and told him about the gas leak. Our team entered the residence and placed audio and video surveillance equipment in each room, on both the phone line and the WIFI router. We looked for anything out of the ordinary but saw nothing unusual. We tested the equipment from the apartment across the street and made sure everything checked out before we left. The surveillance team is on station, and we can now see and hear everything that takes place in the colonel’s residence.”

  General Cho was pleased with the speed and creativity with which his orders had been carried out. He also had requested the bugging of Chang’s office, car, and mobile phone, and was likewise satisfied to hear that those, too, had been carried out.

  “Is there anything else you need us to do, General?” asked the caller.

  “Just keep me informed if you learn anything.”

  “Yes, sir. We certainly will.”

  General Cho hung up the phone and wondered what Chang would have to say for himself when he was ultimately brought in for questioning. Not that what he said would have any bearing on his fate. That was already determined.

  The Blue House, Seoul, South Korea

  President Kim Seong-ho impatiently waited for the director of the national intelligence service to make his way to the Blue House through Seoul evening traffic. The information Director Pang needed to provide to him could not be entrusted to any form of electronic communication, and even having the conversation in his office was taking a risk. Pang had indicated on the phone he had something of vital importance to discuss, and Kim suspected it had to do with the missing American warheads. He hoped Pang would tell him unequivocally that the weapons were not in his country, and he could return to the normal duties of his office.

  The president’s secretary announced Director Pang as he entered the office and briskly shook the hand of his president.

  “I am afraid I have bad news, Mr. President. The American biological weapons are indeed within our borders, and it appears that Lieutenant General Cho is responsible.”

  The president sat down and waited while his intelligence chief unfolded a map of South Korea and placed it on his desk.

  “We have a high degree of confidence that the warheads in question are on Ulleungdo Island, here,” he said, pointing to a small island off the eastern coast of South Korea. Director Pang unfolded a second map, this one depicting the island in much greater detail, and placed it in front of President Kim.

  “Tell me what you know about the island, Director.”

  “Mr. President, it is a small island about 70 miles off the eastern coast. Ulleungdo is roughly six miles by six miles and totals approximately 28 square miles. It has been occupied by many nations in the past. During the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, Japanese forces occupied the island as one of a series of acquisitions intended to fortify their defenses in the area. The islands provided the Japanese with a band of observation towers and wireless transmitting stations that provided an effective early warning network, depending upon visibility. Ulleungdo was of particular importance to Japan because of its position in the Vladivostok shipping lane near the Tsushima Straits.”

  “As you may recall,” Pang continued, “our air force established a radar station on the island just last year, intended to protect our airspace over the East Sea. The deployment of some marines to Ulleungdo was a component of the plan to strengthen border defense. The marines deploy to the island for a few months before being relieved by another company-sized unit. There are barracks there that we built to support the troops, and there are amphibious assault vehicles for the use by rotating troops. Now that we have become aware that there may be American weapons on Ulleungdo, it appears the actual reason General Cho deployed his marines to the island may have been to provide security for those weapons. Our intelligence sources tell us the assigned marines are not aware of what they are guarding. They only know it is an extremely important mission.”

  The president looked closely at the map, then stood and began pacing the floor.

  “So, General Cho is responsible?” asked the president, sadly, needing to hear it again before he could process it fully.

  “Yes, sir. Apparently, as a young major, he was in charge of the warheads’ shipment within our borders. A careless error in a shipping manifest provided him the opportunity to secretly remove some of the warheads, and he has kept them hidden all these years since.”

  “How did you discover all this?” Kim inquired. “Do you have a spy in the general’s command?”

  “Mr. President, I have spies everywhere, including in our own marine corps.” Director Pang folded up the two maps and returned them to his briefcase. “What are you going to do now, sir?”

  “The new American secretary of defense and his delegation will be arriving in Seoul tomorrow to discuss the matter of the missing warheads. I assume the delegation will include Ambassador Greer and General Boyd. As president, I cannot just tell them we have the weapons and advise them as to where they are hidden. Our enemies within the military would see me as a traitor, and my days as president would surely be numbered. Ideally, the Americans would discover the weapons’ location on their own and then make them disappear. In the end, I could not be blamed for turning over something that was not even here.”

  President Kim began pacing the floor again, barely noticing when Director Pang closed his briefcase and quietly left the president’s office. Kim knew that the optimal way out of this situation was simply to have the Americans make it go away. After all, it was their incompetence that created the problem in the first place!

  Carrier Intelligence Center (CVIC), the Reagan

  Ensign Rebecca Clarke knocked on Commander Abrams’ office door. As she entered, she smiled as she greeted the senior officer and asked, “Commander, do you have a moment? I’d like to discuss a personal matter with you.”

  Jennifer straightened the items on her desk, took a sip from her coffee mug, stood up, and shook Rebecca’s hand.

  “Sure, Ensign, what can I do for you? Please, have a seat.”

  Rebecca sat down on the chair next to the desk. “Ma’am, I wante
d to get your advice about something. And can we keep this just between us?”

  Jen sat down in her chair and said, “Well, Rebecca, I guess that depends. There are some things you might tell me that I have a mandate to report up the chain of command. Can you give me a clue what this is about?” She looked at the young officer and could tell she was deeply troubled.

  “This is about a superior officer who has been sexually harassing me for several weeks. I hoped it would just stop, but it hasn’t, and I don’t know what to do.”

  Rebecca’s eyes started to tear up, and Jen handed her a tissue.

  “Why did you come to me, Ensign?”

  “Well, Commander, I thought you might have experienced this type of thing yourself. And if you have, I thought you might have good advice about how to handle it.”

  “Okay, Rebecca, I agree this can remain between us at this point. So, tell me the circumstances.”

  “Well,” Rebecca began, “it usually happens in the gym. I go there to work out about the same time every day, before going on watch. This person always seems to be there, positioned directly across from whatever machine I’m on, continually staring at me and my body, finding reasons to walk close by and touch my back or shoulders, always smiling and looking into my eyes. It’s just creepy. It is extremely uncomfortable, and even after I purposely shifted to working out after my watch, after a few days, it all started up again.”

  “Is this officer in your direct chain of command?”

  “No, ma’am, we work in different departments. Actually, it’s Lieutenant Commander Bryant from Engineering. I never see him except in the gym and occasionally in the wardroom during meals. He has tried several times to sit next to me in there, but now I sit where there is no empty seat next to me.”

  “Is there any reason he would think that you are interested in him? I mean, even remotely?” Jen knew from personal experience how the most innocent comment or action could be misinterpreted by some men as an invitation or indication of interest.