The Trust Of The People (Conspiracy Trilogy Book 2) by Read Christopher

Author:Read, Christopher [Read, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-03-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14 – Thursday, November 3rd

South China Sea –11:17 Local Time; 03:17 UTC

Louisa Marcelo’s strategy was based in part on the early success of Saturday and the armada was stretched out over some two hundred metres, the long line of vessels trying to keep station as they cruised slowly towards the target of Mischief Reef. The flagship was still the power catamaran, its owner more concerned by public contempt if he pulled out of the protest than fear of further damage.

Unlike Saturday, one line had become several, with the larger craft to the front. The total number of vessels had also crept up over the one-twenty mark, a handful having voyaged directly to the reef. An emergency medical unit had even been set up on a ship chartered through the online fund, two doctors and seven nurses freely giving of their expertise and time. The weather was still good, although a breeze gusted from the north, the forecast promising rain showers before evening.

Arrayed against them were just eight Chinese ships: three Coastguard patrol boats backed up by four RHIBs, and in addition something rather more potent. The Chinese frigate dwarfed its companions, the pennant number 563 emblazoned boldly across its bow. Rumour had it that the officer responsible for Mischief Reef’s earlier defence had been replaced, with Beijing apparently ‘disappointed’ as to how the whole matter had been handled. Somehow, the addition of a modern warship to the mix hardly seemed to suggest the new man in charge would be any less confrontational.

Allan Valdez stood at the bow of a thirty metre dive vessel, watching carefully for an indication of China’s tactics. His cousin Joseph waited in the wheelhouse, their two Vietnamese associates aboard a small multi-purpose ship. Both vessels were in the front of the allied line but on opposite sides of Marcelo, each roughly ten boats away. The two boats had been chartered the previous day and the crews knew nothing of their passengers’ history, the promise of a healthy bonus sufficient to stop them from asking impertinent questions.

Hovering above the armada were at least three drones, Valdez unsure whether they were for TV or military use, allied or Chinese. Definitely Chinese were the two helicopters flying to the north-west, the Coastguard readying itself for Marcelo’s renewed assault.

As the two opposing lines moved closer, one of the helicopters headed towards the armada, flying low along the joint Philippine and Vietnamese lines as if assessing their strengths and weaknesses. Reaching the final ship, it traversed back along the front line, the expected verbal warnings sounding out from a loudspeaker.

Both sides knew it was a pointless gesture, the Chinese merely ensuring that they had followed the appropriate convention. The armada kept moving at a steady six knots, heading directly towards the reef some three kilometres distant.

The frigate was keeping station a little behind the other Chinese ships, the RHIBs to the front. Valdez couldn’t see how they could stop the armada without deadly force – water cannon and using the ships as battering rams might halt a few but dozens more would still break through.

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