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By Root 1434 0

side of the world. A local TV crew had made it to the airport just in time, having learned of the emergency from a helpful source at the terminal. Their video showed little more than a distant fireball erupting into the sky, followed by some closer shots that were so typical that they, too, might have come from anywhere. Ten fire trucks surrounded the burning wreckage, blasting it with foam and water, both too late to save anyone. Ambulances scurried about. Some people, obvious survivors, wandered in the haze of shock and disorientation. Others, their faces blackened, staggered into the arms of rescue personnel. There were wives without husbands, parents without children, and the sort of chaos that always appeared dramatic but which passed on nothing in the way of explanation, even as it cried out for action of some kind.

The Republic of China's government issued a blistering statement about air piracy, then requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council. Beijing issued its own statement minutes later, stating that its aircraft, on a peaceful training exercise, had been attacked entirely without provocation, then returned fire in self-defense. Beijing totally disavowed any involvement in the damage to the airliner, and blamed the entire episode on their rebellious province.

So, what else have we turned up? Ryan asked Admiral Jackson at seven-thirty.

We went over both tapes for about two hours. I brought in a few fighter pilots I've worked with, and a pair of Air Force guys, and we kicked it around some. Number one, the ChiComs-

Not supposed to call them that, Robby, the President observed.

Old habit, sorry. The gentlemen of the PRC-hey, they knew we had ships there. The electronic signature of an Aegis ship is like Mount St. Helens with an attitude, okay? And the capabilities of the ships ain't exactly a secret. They've been in service for almost twenty years. So they knew we were watching, and they knew we'd see everything. Let's keep that one in mind.

Keep going, Jack told his friend.

Number two, we have a spook team on the Chandler, listening in on radio chatter. We have translated the voice transmissions of the Chinese fighter pilots. Quoting now-this is thirty seconds into the engagement-'I have him, I have him, taking the shot.' Okay, the time stamp on that is exactly the same as the heat-seeker launch on the airliner.

Number three, every driver I talked to said the same as I did-why shoot at an airliner on the edge of your missile range when you have fighters in your face? Jack, this one smells-real bad, man.

Unfortunately, we can't prove the voice transmission came from the fighter that launched on the Airbus, but it is my opinion, and that of my pals across the river, that this was a deliberate act. They tried to splash that airliner on purpose, the Pentagon's director of operations concluded. We're lucky anybody got off at all.

Admiral, Arnie van Damm asked, could you take that into a court of law?

Sir, I'm not a lawyer. I'm an airplane driver. I don't have to prove things for a living, but I'm telling you, it's a hundred-to-one against that we're wrong on this.

I can't say this in front of the cameras, though, Ryan said, checking his watch. He'd have to do makeup in a few minutes. If they did it on purpose-

No 'if,' Jack, okay?

Damn it, Robby, I heard you the first time! Ryan snapped. He paused and took a breath. I can't accuse a sovereign country of an act of war without absolute proof. Next, okay, fine, they did do it on purpose, and they did it with the knowledge that we'd know they did. What's that mean?

Jack's national security team had had a long night. Goodley took the lead. Hard to say, Mr. President.

Are they making a move on Taiwan? the President asked.

They can't, Jackson said, shaking off his Commander-in-Chief s tantrum. They do not have the physical ability to invade. There is no sign of unusual activity in their ground forces in this area, just the stuff they've been doing in the northwest that has the Russians so annoyed. So from a military point of view the answer