Guarding Savage

by Edlund, Dave;

  “It would be my honor, sir.” He turned to face Peter. “If you’re ready, let’s get you on that medevac.” Peter smiled and felt his eyes tearing. Though he knew he’d never be a member of the SGIT team, they’d been through a lot together. They’d forged an unbreakable bond of trust, respect, honor, and loyalty.

  s

  After the helicopter lifted into the sky on a heading for the RIPAS hospital, the Sultan addressed Jim. “My son, the Crown Prince, has told me that you were most persistent in your request that the elite Special Forces of Brunei be activated for this mission.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty.”

  The Sultan paused in thought for a moment before continuing, “How did you know that this operation was not at my direction?”

  “To be completely honest, I didn’t. I took a chance. But based on our intelligence, it didn’t make sense that you would orchestrate a covert action to precipitate a war between the United States and China.”

  The Sultan nodded. “It would make no sense at all. And that is what bothers me most. Why would my mother do this? Why would she deceive me? Why place her country at peril and endanger her granddaughter?”

  “Don’t forget that she’s indirectly responsible for the murder of your sister.”

  His mouth was downturn and his eyes conveyed a deep sorrow that threatened to crush his heart. As the leader of his country, he needed to be strong. But the pain of loss was very personal. He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “It will take time for us to fully investigate these crimes.”

  “I suspect that the State Department will be willing to lend assistance to your investigation, if you wish. Our intelligence analysts are already digging through the data. Obviously, there are lessons to be learned here.”

  “Yes. I will speak with President Taylor and request we conduct a joint investigation. But first, I have a funeral to attend to as my country enters a period of mourning.”

  “Of course, that’s understandable.” Jim paused, but still had questions on his mind.

  “Is there something else?”

  Jim cleared his throat. “At the risk of overstepping my boundaries, have you arrested Guan-Yin Lim?”

  “The military and police are searching for her. My mother will be arrested and placed on trial for her crimes.”

  “I understand. Thank you for your cooperation and support on this mission. It is certain that my friends and your niece would have been killed if we did not intervene the second we did.”

  Bull stood slightly behind Jim and spoke softly. “Everything is stowed away. Ready anytime you give the word.”

  Jim spoke over his shoulder. “Have the pilot start up the engines.” He extended his hand to the Sultan, who accepted with a firm clasp. “My orders are to get airborne and return to base once the objective is achieved. With your permission, we’ll get this aircraft off your lawn.”

  Chapter 42

  Washington, D.C.

  August 29

  President Tayler had read the full report over breakfast. Although it was forwarded to the White House by the Secretary of Defense, the report was authored by Lieutenant Ellen Lacey of the Strategic Global Intervention Team. Taylor knew of the remarkable results the SGIT team consistently achieved on issues of deep national security.

  Lacey had written that the motivation behind Guan-Yin Lim’s elaborate plan was pure and simple—revenge. She and her family had suffered horrendous crimes and brutality at the hands of the occupying Japanese Imperial Army when she was a child. Those scars never fully healed - instead, they festered as time passed. The fact that Japanese military officers were never held fully accountable for their war crimes, added to Japan’s refusal to completely acknowledge its criminal actions during their conquest of Asia, further fed her rage.

  So when Guan-Yin’s life took a rare twist and she married into the royal family of Brunei, she began plotting. In her mind, the objective was nothing short of financial ruin for Japan. With China surging economically and militarily, the timing was right. But the U.S. military was the sole obstacle in the way of achieving success. If the United States could be driven out of the Western Pacific, China would be free to dominate the region as it had for centuries before.

  The door to the Oval Office opened and Paul Bryan entered. “Have a seat, Paul.” He planted himself on a Chippendale sofa and Taylor sat opposite in a leather club chair. “What do you think of the report on the China affair?”

  “As usual, Colonel Pierson’s team at SGIT completed a very professional operation. If the Sultan had not been in the Middle East on an extended trade mission, perhaps the situation would not have spiraled out of control.”

  “Perhaps, but his youngest son did initiate and oversee the operation, and manage to keep it secret from the Sultan for some time—probably months if not years.”

  Paul Bryan raised his eyebrows. “As the Head of State, the Sultan is very busy. An alliance between the Director of Security and the Sultan’s mother would be formidable. It will take time to fully investigate the extent of the collusion and determine if all the traitors have been arrested.”

  “Yes… There are a few things bothering me, and I wanted to get your opinion before we meet with Ambassador Gao.”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “Lieutenant Lacey wrote in the report that it is likely this Lim person—”

  “Guan-Yin Lim. She’s the mother of the Sultan.”

  “Right. So Mrs. Lim probably did not believe that sinking a few, or even several, of our warships would force our retreat from the Western Pacific. Instead, her strategy was to trigger a war between the United States and China. Lacey goes on to theorize that the U.S. would quickly fail to aggressively prosecute a war in Asia because of the expense, the difficult logistics, but mostly due to a lack of public support.”

  “That’s correct. I am inclined to agree with her reasoning.”

  “Even after some of our naval vessels had been sunk? Please explain.”

  “I’m hardly in a position to comment on the details of military logistics as they relate to a possible Asian campaign. However, several polls point to the growing reality that the voting public is weary of conflict. We’ve been at a near-constant state of warfare in Afghanistan and the Middle East since 2001. The expense has been enormous, not only in dollars but also in lost American lives.”

  “We had to respond forcefully following 9/11. No one can fault the U.S. for retaliating against the Taliban.”

  “Of course. But then we invaded Iraq, and we destabilized Libya and Syria, making a general mess out of the Middle East. Not to mention a humanitarian crisis of Biblical proportions.”

  Taylor stood and walked around the Resolute desk, gazing out the window with his arms folded across his chest. “I’m afraid I have to agree with you, Paul. So, we’re going to make a major shift in our foreign policy. Beginning today, with our meeting with Ambassador Gao.”

  With trepidation, Paul said, “Yes, sir. What do you have in mind?” Having a substantial change to foreign policy sprung on him without warning was not how he preferred to conduct business. He wanted to help formulate policy, not simply be a tool for its implementation.

  “I keep going back to our conversation about how the United States turned over control of the Panama Canal and yet still maintains enough presence—through negotiated treaties—to preserve our national security. I want to achieve the same goal with China. I want this administration to treat China as an equal.”

  Paul Bryan shifted in his seat and raised his eyebrows. “Well, that will take some work.”

  President Taylor turned to face the Secretary of State. “Yes, it will. I fully realize that. And I also know you are the best man for the job. We’ll begin today, with the Chinese Ambassador. And I want to invite President Chen to a summit at Camp David, to work through the details of a treaty that ensures freedom of navigation through those contested waters.”

  “President Chen will sense weakness on your part. He will demand no
thing short of recognition by the United States that China has sovereignty over the Spratly Islands and the Senkaku Islands. Japan and Taiwan in particular will be very displeased with our pivot. Malaysia, Vietnam, and the Philippines as well, but that should be manageable. How do you propose we explain this shift to our allies?”

  “We all know that this dispute is mostly about projecting an image of strength. Those outcroppings of coral and sand are mostly uninhabited, and other than fishing rights, what intrinsic value do they really hold?”

  “Point taken, but what about the possible mineral wealth—oil and gas—in the waters surrounding those islands?”

  Taylor shrugged. “So? Do we really care? The U.S. is the leading global producer of oil now, and we have enough natural gas to last for dozens of decades. Besides, we have no claim under any legal theory to whatever riches may be under those waters—if any. At the present, this is all hypothetical. It could turn out that the expense of recovering oil and gas from offshore wells there is prohibitive.”

  “What you are proposing is a huge pivot in U.S. policy. President Chen will be suspicious that we are hiding an alternate agenda. The messaging will be very tricky.”

  Taylor smiled. “An understatement. We will present our new policy honestly and openly. And we’re not softening our stance on fair trade. Yes, at first Jinghui Chen and his advisers will doubt our sincerity. I have no illusions that this negotiation will be easy, but for the benefit of humankind, we’ve got to do our best. This path we’ve been following…” The President shook his head.

  “We didn’t seek a path of war,” Bryan said.

  “No, we didn’t. But I’m convinced we could have adopted policies following the fall of the Iron Curtain that would have made it less likely we end up there.”

  “I’m not sure I understand. Are you suggesting that the long-term foreign policies of the U.S. have been a net destabilizing factor in geopolitics?”

  “It’s a theory I’ve been formulating since before I was voted into office. Now, more than ever, I am convinced we need to act more like a good neighbor than like an overbearing parent. Our foreign policy should be recognized for tolerance, for embracing other political perspectives and religions. For truly supporting freedom of choice, even if that choice is disagreeable to our thinking.

  “I mean, why is it that we feel compelled to insist that our way of life is the model everyone should follow? Why do we assert our right to militarize remote outposts and then vociferously object and stomp our feet when other countries do the same? When did it become our charter to not only influence who is the leader of sovereign nations but, in many cases, to use force to effect the change we want?”

  “Mr. President, you know my position on these issues, and you know that I fully support you. But I must urge caution. Rapid changes, radical changes, in our foreign policy may have unexpected, and unwanted, consequences.”

  “Maybe. But change is needed. As long as I am the leader of the free world, we are going to work hard to start making these changes. Quite simply, we must. We’ve been on a course of self-destruction for decades. Thank God, we’ve been able to pull back from the brink of annihilation more than once. But our luck won’t hold out indefinitely.”

  The Secretary of State stood. “I knew this job wouldn’t be easy.” He took a deep breath and locked eyes with the President. “I will do everything within my power to affect this change, beginning with Ambassador Gao.”

  Paul Bryan was at the door when President Taylor addressed him. “Paul, this will take time and an enormous amount of hard work. Critics will doubt us. Don’t lose faith. This is our destiny.”

  Epilogue

  Bend, Oregon

  August 31

  “Hard to believe this is where it all started,” Peter said. He was sitting across from Todd Steed at a table on the shady side of Wall Street, almost at the exact spot where they had first encountered the thugs trying to kidnap Jade and her friend, Amanda. The twenty stitches in Peter’s side would be there for another two weeks as the ragged tear healed. And he still had to take antibiotics for ten more days.

  Todd took a long drink from his glass of Sinister Stout. “Who would’ve thought it would all work out the way it did?”

  Diesel groaned and rolled onto his side. His amber eyes barely showed under the partially-closed lids. Following a deep sigh, the eyelids closed completely, and within seconds he was snoring.

  Peter looked across the table at his good friend. “Jade called this morning.”

  “Yeah? How’s she doing?”

  “Good. This has been a very trying and emotional time for her. But she’s dealing with it. I think the betrayal of her grandmother hurts most.”

  “I can’t begin to imagine what that would be like. Your mother murdered, essentially at the direction of your grandmother, who then kidnaps you. That’s really messed up.”

  “The Sultan is trying to balance the needs of his country with the needs of his family, and himself.”

  “How’s he doing?” Todd tipped the glass of stout again, finishing off the remainder. He caught the eye of the waiter and pointed to his empty glass. The waiter nodded, and held up two fingers, indicating he’d refresh Peter’s beer, too.

  “He’s a strong man. Jade is happy to be close to him and his family. It’s all she has left.”

  “She has you, and her other friends, too.”

  “Sure. But you know what I mean.” Peter turned away from Todd, not willing to look him in the eye, afraid of what he might reveal. “I know how she feels. There’s nothing like that sense of loss. No way that words can describe it. You need something to hold onto. Something tangible, not just photos and memories.”

  “Maggie?”

  Peter nodded.

  “It’s been a long time, Peter. There was nothing you could do. We all know that.”

  “Doesn’t change anything,” he answered. When he looked at Todd, his expression was mournful. “If I lived for a hundred years, it would still hurt just as much as it does now.”

  “The mountains?”

  Peter turned his gaze to the west, toward the Cascade Mountains, even though a building was blocking his view. “I don’t know why, but I feel close to her there. As if being there somehow brings me closer to the past. It’s silly and makes no sense. We can never go back in time. But some of the best memories I have of Maggie are from time we spent in those mountains.”

  “I know.” Todd studied Peter. At the moment, his friend appeared confused, uncertain, even weak. That was not the Peter Savage he knew. “She was your wife and the mother of your children. She was a big part of your life.”

  “She was my life.”

  The pints of beer arrived, and Todd deftly changed the direction of their conversation. “Jade will be okay,” he said with certainty.

  “I hope so. I plan to stay in touch with her. You know, she reminds me so much of Joanna.”

  “I can see that. She’s got some spunk. And she’s not afraid to get out and experience the world. Just like Jo.”

  “Yeah. Both are strong headed.” Peter smiled, like it was an inside joke. But Todd understood.

  “I’m gonna say this as your friend. You need to rest and pull your head together. Take some time off and go on a nice vacation. Hey, why don’t you take Kate along? You can’t keep living in the past.”

  “Not sure she’d say yes. We haven’t been getting along too well since I got back. I think she’s not happy that I went off to London with Jade.”

  “Well, why didn’t you ask Kate to go with you?”

  “I did. But she had a wedding to go to. She was the bridesmaid. Not exactly easy to get out of that.”

  “Maybe that bullet hole in your arm has something to do with this?”

  Peter glanced at the bandage taped to his arm. The stitches were healing nicely, but he still felt stabs of pain if he moved just the right way. “Yeah, maybe. She told me she didn’t want to date Rambo.”

  “Instead of sitti
ng here, drinkin’ a beer with me, you should ask Kate to dinner, maybe go to a movie.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll call her tonight.”

  Todd pointed his index finger at his friend. “Promise me you’ll do this.”

  “Okay, I promise.”

  “Listen to me, Peter. You’re working yourself crazy, and you’re heading toward self-destruction. You need some rest. The projects will wait, and I’ve got production under control.”

  “I don’t know…” Peter took a long drink from his beer.

  “Look, you saved the world from a war in the Pacific. I say you can take some time to rest and relax. Hey, why not call the Sultan and ask if you can borrow his jet?”

  “Which one?”

  “He’s got more than one?”

  Peter snorted a laugh. “Two jets that I know of, and a car collection that is said to number in the thousands.”

  “Hey! You said he told you to call if you ever needed anything. Well, give him a call.”

  “I’ll let you in on a secret. He said that before he learned that I shot and killed his youngest son.”

  “The guy who was in charge of the palace security and running the day-to-day operations of the missile boats? Let me tell you something: You did the Sultan a favor by killing that man. Otherwise, the Sultan would have to go through the disgrace of a public trial and scandal.”

  “Maybe, but blood is blood.”

  Peter’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen, planning to ignore it, but the caller ID showed the country code to be 44. Intrigued, he held up his index finger to Todd, and then took the call. “Hello?”

  “Dr. Savage?”

  “Yes, speaking.”

  “Good day, sir. This is George McIntire. You might recall we spoke some time ago. I’m the Customer Service Manager for Rolls Royce.”

  “I remember. You’re calling from Goodwood?”

  “Of course.”

  “As in England.”