cc.goldenbuddha-第58节

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　Within　two　hours　of　the　meeting；　the　first　Chinese　transport　planes　began　to　land　at　Lhasa　Airport　and　began　ferrying　troops　north　to　Xinjiang　Province。　In　the　haste　to　counter　the　Russian　threat；　the　organization　of　the　Chinese　army　in　Tibet　would　suffer。　Junior　officers　would　be　placed　in　charge　of　partially　staffed　battalions。　Weapons　and　ammunition　would　be　depleted。　The　mission　and　purpose　would　be　promised。　
　
　CABRILLO　WAS　NAPPING　in　the　rear　of　the　Gulfstream　when　his　secure　telephone　buzzed。　
　〃Go　ahead；〃　he　said；　instantly　awake。　
　〃It's　me；〃　Overholt　said；　〃with　good　news。　The　NSA　just　called　the　DCI；　who　called　me。　The　Russian　bluff　is　working。　Transport　planes　are　leaving　the　airport　in　Lhasa　and　hauling　troops　north。　In　addition；　a　column　of　tanks　has　just　left　the　city　and　they're　traveling　at　breakneck　speed。　Everyone　said　it's　looking　up　so　far。〃　
　Cabrillo　glanced　at　his　watch。　〃I'll　be　there　in　about　an　hour　or　so。　Are　we　all　set　up　for　the　meeting？〃　
　〃It's　all　taken　care　of；〃　Overholt　said。　
　〃Good；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃If　we　reach　an　agreement　there；　I'll　continue　north。〃　
　〃You　really　think　you　can　sell　everybody　on　this　idea？〃　Overholt　asked。　
　〃This　mission's　like　an　onion；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃Every　time　I　peel　back　a　layer；　there's　a　layer　underneath。〃　
　〃That's　not　the　half　of　it；〃　Overholt　said。　〃The　Dalai　Lama　has　a　new　plan。〃　
　〃I　can't　wait；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃I　think　you're　going　to　like　it；〃　Overholt　told　him。　
　
　THE　OREGON　DOCKED　off　Ho　Chi　Minh　City。　The　team　that　would　enter　Tibet　was　transported　by　shore　boat　to　land。　Then　they　were　driven　in　a　Vietnamese　air　force　truck　to　the　airport；　where　the　C…130　sat　waiting。　The　total　Corporation　force　would　number　a　baker's　dozen。　
　Six　menSeng；　Murphy；　Reyes；　King；　Meadows　and　Kasim　would　be　tasked　with　the　offensive　operations。　They　would　link　up　with　the　Dungkar　already　inside　the　country　and　direct　them　in　the　proper　targets　to　hit　first。　Crabtree　and　Gannon；　who　were　already　in　Bhutan　awaiting　the　team's　arrival；　would　handle　supply　and　logistics。　Adams　and　Gunderson　would　fly；　while　Lincoln　was　in　charge　of　setting　up　
　and　operating　the　Predator　drones。　Huxley　was　tasked　with　setting　up　
　a　medical　facility　to　treat　anyone　wounded　or　injured。　
　The　thirteenth　member　was　Cabrillo。　He　would　arrive　after　he　finished　his　pair　of　meetings。　
　To　the　untrained；　the　mission　looked　like　suicide：　a　dozen　or　so　against　a　force　that　was　close　to　two　thousand。　Odds　of　one　hundred　and　fifty…plus　to　one。　It　looked　like　a　bloodbath　in　the　making。　A　trained　observer；　however；　would　be　praying　for　the　Chinese　troops。　First；　one　had　to　consider　the　Dungkar；　the　shadowy　underground　Chinese　opposition　thought　to　number　in　the　thousands　in　Lhasa。　When　unleashed；　the　Dungkar　would　burn　with　a　fever　that　only　es　when　fighting　an　enemy　on　home　soil。　Second　was　the　element　of　surprise。　The　Chinese　were　not　planning　for　a　concentrated　and　expertly　executed　coup　d'etat　in　the　next　twenty…four　hours。　The　third　was　the　most　basic。　It　is　almost　a　certainty　that　a　well…planned　offense　will　defeat　an　unplanned　defense　every　single　time。　
　That　was　where　the　Corporation　excelled。　
　Already；　most　of　the　Chinese　forces　inside　Tibet　were　heading　north　in　a　helter…skelter　deployment　that　had　left　little　time　for　planning　and　even　less　for　preparation。　The　troops　left　around　Lhasa　were　not　the　cream　of　the　crop；　they　were　the　leftoversthe　administration　clerks；　mechanics　and　painters；　plodders　and　planners。　The　officers　were　not　bat　trained；　would　not　be　knowledgeable　about　their　individual　soldiers'　strengths　and　weaknesses；　and　would　lack　a　plete　picture　of　where　all　the　parts　fit　together。　
　Right　now　in　Tibet；　the　army　was　a　jigsaw　puzzle　without　a　design。　
　
　KASIM　WALKED　FROM　the　truck　and　approached　the　C…130　radio　operator。　〃What　have　you　got　from　inside？〃　he　asked。　〃We　have　another　plane　circling　out　of　sight　of　the　Chinese　deployment；　capturing　their　signals　and　bouncing　them　here；〃　the　operator　said。　〃Right　now；　most　of　the　munications　pertain　to　laying　fuel　dumps　on　the　road　north。　The　tanks　are　outrunning　the　fuel　supply。〃
　〃Have　you　heard　from　the　tail？〃　Kasim　asked。　The　operator；　a　Chinese　American　formerly　employed　by　the　Defense　Intelligence　Agency　and　now　attached　to　the　CIA　proprietary　air　
　line　supplying　the　C…130；　scanned　his　notes。　〃As　of　nineteen　thirty　Zulu　time；　the　rear　of　the　convoy　had　passed　through　Naggu。〃　
　〃They're　making　good　time；〃　Kasim　noted。　〃At　this　speed；　they　will　pass　through　Amdo　before　eleven　p。m。　and　then　another　two　hours　or　so　and　they　will　make　the　border　with　Tsinghai　Province。〃　
　The　operator　stared　at　a　classified　satellite　photograph　and　pared　it　with　a　detailed　Defense　Mapping　Agency　map。　〃The　pass　at　Basatongwula　Shan　will　slow　them　some；　it's　riddled　with　steep　mountains　and　tight　turns。　The　altitude　is　almost　sixty…one　hundred　meters。〃
　〃Twenty　thousand　feet；〃　Kasim　said。　〃That's　high。　The　border's　about　two　hundred　fifty　miles　from　Lhasa；〃　Kasim　noted；　〃and　our　reports　state　these　are　the　older　Type　Fifty…nine　tanks。　That　gives　them　a　range　of　two　hundred　seventy　miles　on　a　tank　of　diesel；　or　about　a　hundred　more　if　they　have　the　external　fuel　tanks　mounted。〃　
　The　operator　nodded。　〃I've　been　watching　the　progress。　The　Type　Fifty…nine　on　a　road　can　top　out　around　fifty　kilometers　an　hour　or　thirty…plus　miles　an　hour。　Normally；　however；　they　cruise　at　something　like　twenty　miles　an　hour。〃　
　〃What　are　you　saying？〃　Kasim　asked。　
　The　operator　smiled　and　reached　for　a　pack　of　cigarettes。　He　tapped　one　from　the　pack；　lit　it　with　a　Zippo　lighter；　then　took　a　drag。　Blowing　out　the　smoke；　he　answered。　
　〃What　I'm　saying　is　that　these　boys　are　running　at　nearly　full　speed　no　matter　what　the　cost　in　fuel　usage。　They　will　need　to　stop　in　Amdo　and　fill　the　tanks　so　they　can　make　the　pass。　Then　they'll　have　a　run　downhill　that　will　take　them　to　Kekexili　for　the　next　stop。〃　
　〃So　when　they　reach　there　sometime　around　breakfast　Easter　day；〃　Kasim　said；　〃they　will　be　four　hundred　miles　from　Lhasa；　with　a　twenty…thousand…foot　pass　in　between　them　and　us。〃
　〃Sounds　about　right；〃　the　operator　said。　〃Thanks　for　the　help；〃　Kasim　said。　
　A　line　of　Vietnamese　air　force　airmen　carried　the　last　of　the　crates　aboard　the　C…130。　Hanley　stood　off　to　the　side；　talking　to　the　Vietnamese　general　in　charge　of　the　arrangements。　Kasim　watched　as　Hanley　handed　the　man　an　envelope；　then　the　two　shared　a　laugh。　Hanley　shook　the　general's　hand；　then　walked　over　to　the　C…130。　〃Mr。　Hanley；〃　Kasim　said；　〃I　have　a　plan。〃　
　
　THE　GULFSTREAM　G550　carrying　Cabrillo　and　the　Golden　Buddha　landed　at　Amritsar；　India；　and　Cabrillo　and　the　icon　were　flown　in　a　helicopter　the　rest　of　the　way　to　Little　Lhasa；　near　Dharamsala　in　the　northern　Himachal　Pradesh　region　of　northern　India。　
　The　aide　quickly　ushered　him　in　to　his　meeting　with　the　Dalai　Lama。　〃Your　Holiness；〃　Cabrillo　said　as　he　entered　and　bowed　his　head　slightly。　
　The　Dalai　Lama　stood　silently；　staring　at　Cabrillo　for　a　full　minute。　
　Then　he　smiled。　
　〃You　are　a　good　man；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃Langston　told　mebut　I　　needed　to　be　sure　for　myself。〃　
　〃Thank　you；　sir；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃These　are　the　papers　that　we　recovered　from　inside　the　Buddha；〃　he　said；　handing　them　to　the　Dalai　Lama's　aide。　〃I'll　need　them　transcribed　before　my　meeting　with　the　Russians。〃　
　〃Copy　them　and　translate　them　into　English；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　ordered　his　aide。　〃Mr。　Cabrillo　will　need　to　leave　again　shortly。〃　
　The　Dalai　Lama　motioned　to　a　long　couch；　where　Overholt　was　already　seated。　Cabrillo　sat　on　the　end　and　the　Dalai　Lama　slipped　between　the　two　men。　〃So　explain　the　plan；〃　he　said。　
　〃I　believe　the　Russians　will　support　your　bid　to　regain　your　country。　They　will　offer　the　muscle　to　deter　the　Chinese　from　making　an　assault　once　we　gain　control　of　Lhasa；　in　return　for　the　rights　to　develop　what　you　claim　those　documents　represent：　the　vast　oil　reserves　of　the　Himalayas。〃　
　〃Their　location's　known　only　to　us；〃　said　the　Dalai　Lama。　〃In　those　documents。　Soyour　president　got　them　to　the　border　by　offering　them　the　aid　package；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said；　〃but　to　fight；　they　need　more。〃　
　〃Exactly；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃And　you？〃　the　Dalai　Lama　asked。　〃Your　pany？　What　were　you　hired　to　do？〃　
　〃We　were　hired　to　steal　the　Golden　Buddha　and　to　pave　the　way　for　your　return。　Once　you　are　back　inside　Tibet；　our　obligation　would；　by　the　contract　wording；　end。〃　
　〃So　I　would　be　lefthow　do　you　say　it？high　and　dry；〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said。　
　〃Hard　to　say；〃　Cabrillo　admitted；　〃and　this　has　bothered　me　and　my　associates。〃　
　〃Why？〃　the　Dalai　Lama　said。　〃Are　you　not　mercenaries？　Once　your　obligation　is　over；　don't　you　just　blend　into　the　night？〃　
　Cabrillo　thought　for　a　minute　how　to　answer　this　question。　He　paused　and　thought　as　the　Dalai　Lama　waited。　〃It's　a　little　more　plex　than　that；　Your　Holiness。　If　we　did　what　we　did　just　for　money；　we　would　have　all　retired　by　now。　It's　more　involved　than　that。　In　the　past；　most　of　us　worked　for　one　government　agency　or　another；　and　we　were　pelled　by　Congress；　or　public　opinion；　to　do　things　we　knew　or　felt　were　wrong。　We　don't　do　those　th