Dragon (Dirk Pitt 10)

Don Kern entered the room and spoke softly to Jordan, who nodded as he listened, and then looked up at the President. "It appears our friends from NUMA have solved another problem for us.

Commander Harper has signaled that the tilt-turbine aircraft Pitt and Giordino hijacked for their flight from the island has been refueled on board the Bennett. They're in the air and flying toward Wake Island as we speak."

The President turned his attention to Metcalf. "General, I leave it to you to arrange military transportation for Suma and our legislators to the capital as quickly as humanly possible."

"I'll alert General Duke Mackay, commander of Anderson Air Force Base on Guam, to send his personal jet to Wake. It should be on the ground and waiting when Pitt sets down."

The President then focused on Jordan. "What's the status of the Dragon Center?"

"Sorry, sir," replied Jordan. "Commander Harper's signals were brief. There was no word from our MAIT team on whether their operation was a success."

"Then we won't know anything until they reach Wake."

"No, sir."

Oates thrust a hard stare at Jordan. "If your people failed in their mission to halt the Dragon Center from becoming operational, we could be facing a terrible calamity."

Jordan stared back. "If they escaped in one piece, they accomplished what they set out to."

"We don't know that for certain."

"Even so, we surely bought some breathing space, with the architect and builder of the Kaiten Project in hand," said Simmons. "Suma's co-conspirators will be demoralized. They won't attempt any major aggression without their leader at the helm."

"I'm afraid your theory won't hold water," Jordan said slowly. "We've overlooked Harper's message from the Bennett."

"What about it?" asked the President.

"The part about the aircraft surviving an attack by Japanese fighters," Brogan pointed out.

Jordan nodded. "They must have known Suma was on board. And yet they tried to shoot the plane down."

Simmons doodled on a notepad as he spoke. "Then we must assume they. . . whoever they are--"

"The old kingpin of the Japanese underworld, Korori Yoshishu, and his financial crony, Ichiro Tsuboi,"

explained Jordan, interrupting. "They're criminal partners in Suma's industrial empire."

"Then we must assume," Simmons repeated, "that Hideki Suma is expendable."

"It comes down to that," said Kern, speaking fur the first time.

"Which means Yoshishu and Tsuboi can step in and activate the detonation systems," the President theorized.

Brogan's expression of optimism was slowly collapsing. "With Suma in our hands, there's no predicting how they'll react."

"Perhaps I should reorder the nuclear strike," said the President halfheartedly.

Jordan shook his head negatively. "Not just yet, Mr. President. There's another way we can buy time to reassess the situation."

"What's on your mind, Ray?"

"We let the Japanese tune in to Commander Harper's signals reporting that the plane carrying Diaz, Smith, and Suma crashed into the sea with the loss of all on board."

Brogan looked doubtful. "You really think Yoshishu and Tsuboi would buy that?"

"Probably not," said Jordan with a canny look, "but I'll bet they'll think about it until we can put the Kaiten Project out of business for good."