The Bear and the Dragon - Tom Clancy [492]
"Quite a few," the DCI admitted. "Thousands. Maybe tens of thousands."
"Including some of our people?"
"Yes, Jack, including some of ours."
"And from a technical point of view, it's really child's play?"
"Yes, it's not technically demanding at all."
"Then turn the children loose, Ed. Right now," Ryan ordered.
"Yes, Mr. President."
CHAPTER 59—Loss of Control
With the death of General Peng, command of 34th Shock Army devolved to Major General Ge Li, CG also of 302nd Armored. His first task was to get himself clear, and this he did, ordering his tank off the long gun-range slope while one of the surviving reconnaissance tracks recovered Peng's body. All of those tracked vehicles also pulled back, as Ge figured his first task was to determine what had happened, rather then to avenge the death of his army commander. It took him twenty minutes to motor back to his own command section, where he had a command track identical to the one Peng had driven about in. He needed the radios, since he knew the field phones were down, for whatever reason he didn't know.
"I need to talk to Marshal Luo," he said over the command frequency, which was relayed back to Beijing via several repeater stations. It took another ten minutes because the Defense Minister, he was told, was in a Politburo meeting. Finally, the familiar voice came over the radio.
"This is Marshal Luo."
"This is Major General Ge Li, commanding Three-On-Second Armored. General Peng Xi-Wang is dead," he announced.
"What happened?"
"He went forward to join the reconnaissance section to see the front, and he was killed by a sniper bullet. The recon section ran into a small ambush, looked like a single Russian personnel carrier. I drove it off with my own tank," Ge went on. It was fairly true, and it seemed like the sort of thing he was supposed to say.
"I see. What is the overall situation?" the Defense Minister asked.
"Thirty-fourth Shock Army is advancing—well, it was. I paused the advance to reorganize the command group. I request instructions Comrade Minister."
"You will advance and capture the Russian gold mine, secure it, and then continue north for the oil field."
"Very well, Comrade Minister, but I must advise you that Twenty-ninth Army, right behind us, sustained a serious attack an hour ago, and was reportedly badly hit."
"How badly?"
"I do not know. Reports are sketchy, but it doesn't sound good."
"What sort of attack was it?"
"An air attack, origin unknown. As I said, reports are very sketchy at this time. Twenty-ninth seems very disorganized at the moment," Ge reported.
"Very well. You will continue the attack. Forty-third Army is behind Twenty-ninth and will support you. Watch your left flank—"
"I know of the reports of Russian units to my west," Ge said. "I will orient a mechanized division to deal with that, but … "
"But what?" Luo asked.
"But, Comrade Marshal, we have no reconnaissance information on what lies before us. I need such information in order to advance safely."
"You will find your safety in advancing rapidly into enemy territory and destroying whatever formations you find," Luo told him forcefully. "Continue your advance!"
"By your command, Comrade Minister." There wasn't much else he could say to that.
"Report back to me as necessary."
"I will do that," Ge promised.
"Very well. Out." Static replaced the voice.
"You heard him," Ge said to Colonel Wa Cheng-gong, whom he'd just inherited as army operations officer. "Now what, Colonel?"
"We continue the advance, Comrade General."
Ge nodded to the logic of the situation. "Give the order."
It took hold four minutes later, when the radio commands filtered down to battalion level and the units started moving.
They didn't need reconnaissance information now, Colonel Wa reasoned. They knew that there had to be some light Russian units just beyond the ridgeline where Peng had met his foolish death. Didn't I warn him? Wa raged to himself. Didn't Ge warn him? For a general to die in battle was not unexpected. But to die from a single bullet fired