Landmark 2d. China Betrays Russia
Craigen didn’t know what time it was. All he knew was that it was too early, and that he was still groggy after a busy and mostly sleepless night. Cluster meetings were now being held during the shift change before breakfast in an old industrial building converted into a twenty-four hour operations center. With a thin ray of dawn sun peaking beneath the perpetually overcast sky, traffic continued unabated as convoy after convoy arrived, delivering an endless supply of clothes, blankets, food, medicine, and other desperately needed equipment to the refugee center that had sprung up near the checkpoint on the Ukrainian border.
The arriving convoys were matched by departing convoys as every available car, truck, minivan, or bus was loaded with an endless stream of men, women, and children seeking safety from the carnage the Russians were inflicting on the Ukrainian coastal cities. An incredible number of wounded people came in, and ambulances drove recklessly over the shoulders of roadways trying to get critical patients past stalled clusters of vehicles that clogged the main routes. The local medical aid stations were completely overwhelmed. How many people will die on the road trying to make it back to the hospital in Chişinău?
Craigen decided to walk the mile back to the PIRA campsite. Despite the biting cold morning chill, he found the walk through the mud and ice along the roadway invigorating after the non-stop activity that had begun the moment his team arrived. It hadn’t let up. It was cold, and few light snowflakes were falling. He shoved his hands deeper into his coat pockets and kept trudging forward.
“The Cluster confirms massive escalation of Russian violence. There are reports of significant bombardment of civilian populations." Craigen briefed the Response Team as they sat around a table made from a large wooden cable reel that had been salvaged.
“That makes sense,” Kedzierski mused aloud as she brought over some sandwiches and a bowl of rich stew. The Response Team operated on the principle that “adequate” shelter meant any shelter the team members would use themselves. The same policy held true for meals. So when they were on a mission, they operated out of tents, and ate the same meals they served to the refugees. There were several food collection points, and supplies and donations were pouring in from all over the world. So at least they were eating well.
“What does?”
“I’ve been thinking about why Putin is doing all this,” she said by way of explanation. “The Bible makes it clear, there can only be one reason he’s unleashing all this horror on innocent civilians.”
Craigen blew the steam from his stew before digging in. She always talks about Putin, not the Russians, he observed. She blames him for all the suffering. To her, this is personal. “Thanks Curly.” He gestured towards the bowl with his spoon.
“We're entering the end times," Kedzierski said, setting her coffee cup down carefully to emphasize the finality of her statement.
“Aw, c’mon Curly!” Thibido spat contemptuously. “Don’t go actin’ like that. Like we ain’t got enough to worry about right here without thumpin’ the Bible at folks!”
“Knock it off, Scooter!” Craigen snapped, “Last time I checked, Parousia International was a Christian organization. So don’t go bagging on her perspective of the situation.” He knew his outburst was uncharacteristic, and he regretted his tone. I’m just tired. We’re all tired.
“Whosoever shall be ashamed of me in this sinful generation, so shall the Son of man be ashamed. Matthew 16:38.” Kedzierski held one hand out like a book while she glared at Thibido and defiantly thumped on her open palm with the other.
Thibido looked away.
“Actually, this isn’t some imaginary battle between good and evil.” Offered Bolanger. “The obvious truth about this war is that it is a contest of international power. The Russians fear the encroachment of NATO on their borders. America’s been pushing this for decades. A confrontation was inevitable.” Bolanger was originally from Quebec, and she was younger than most of the team members, so her opinions tended to be less favorable of US interventions in other nations.
Kedzierski’s crossed her arms, face flushing. But she didn’t speak. Uh oh, now Dee’s offended her. Craigen had been married enough times to recognize the look. But he couldn’t let it go. "Look Curly, you know everyone here respects your opinion. But you've got to remember that not everyone shares your worldview. We came to serve those in need, not to evangelize."
“I can’t believe you expect me to keep my mouth shut, Rattle.” Defiance flashed dangerously in her eyes as she glared at Bolanger. “I won’t. I know my Christian duty.”
“Russia’s always complainin’ ‘bout how us Americans are always imposing our morality on other cultures," Thibido argued.
“You mean the same evil man who firebombs maternity wards?” Kedzierski hissed. “This also from the government that talks openly about executing Ukrainians by hanging them? I’ll stand my morality up to theirs any day!”
Craigen could tell that Thibido had his 'feuding' blood up when the Cajun held up his cell phone, wagging the headline from some news agency to make his next point. “Well, talk about international power plays, take a look at this… looks like the Ruskies are beggin’ China to bail him out and send him military aid. Whoowee!” The normally laconic Thibido crowed. “When it comes to Zelenskyy, ‘ole Putin seriously miscalculated da big fight in dat little dog.”
Desperate to change the subject before his whole team disintegrated into bickering, Craigen silenced Thibido with a sharp look. “As I was saying, the situation is dire, and the Cluster’s worried that this checkpoint is being overwhelmed. They’re considering closing the border.”
“What?” Kedzierski’s jaw dropped in shock. “They’re still coming. People will die if they close that border!”
Craigen raised both hands as if he were warding off a blow, “Hold on, hold on. I just said they were considering closing the border. Right now, it looks like they’re not going to. They seem to think that progress is being made at the peace negotiations.”
“The real victory has already been won.” Kedzierski cocked an eyebrow at Thibido, challenging him to deny it.
“Get out da way, Rattle! We comin’ through!” Thibido grunted urgently. He and his apprentice were struggling under the weight of a stretcher. The man they carried was obviously severely wounded. Blood stained the sheets around his abdomen and in the area around his knees. Craigen wasn’t sure, but it seemed like the casualty was missing his feet.
“What are you doing, Scooter?” Craigen jumped out of the way, pulling a tent flap back to assist his comrades. “This isn’t the hospital ward.”
As Thibido passed by he said, “Dey don’t got no room over there.” His friend’s face was a mask of anguish. He silently mouthed the words, "He's expected."
“Expected” meant that the wounded man was expected to die. Craigen reasoned that the medical ward had assessed the man’s wounds as terminal during the triage process and left him outside in the cold weather to die. Apparently, Thibido had decided on his own to bring him inside the PIRA tent in an impulsive act of compassion. It was highly unusual, but this tent was unoccupied, so Craigen allowed it. What could it hurt, anyway?
They placed the stretcher on a cot, and Thibido pulled up a folding chair so he could sit at the wounded man’s side. He pointed to the letter 'T' written in blood on the soldier's forehead. The 'T' stood for the tourniquets tying off the stumps of what remained of his legs. “Get me a towel or something to wipe this up!” Thibido commanded his apprentice, who scurried outside to comply. Then he took the injured man’s hand in his and said, “Howdy boy, my name’s Ricky, but everybody call’s me Scooter. I understand you speak English?”
Craigen’s heart broke to watch his best friend provide the last aid and comfort this poor man would ever receive. “Ya, a little bit.” The soldier was barely more than a teenager. Then Craigen realized with a shock, He’s wearing a Russian uniform!
“What’s your name, son?” Thibido asked.
“Petr.” The young man responded weakly. Then his eyes grew wide, and he said more urgently, "Petr Ivanov! Ivanov! You must tell my father… his name is Sergei. Sergei Ivanov from Novosibirsk. Please… " his voice grew weak again as he groaned and clasped the bloodied sheets around his waist.
“Take it easy Pete,” Thibido said calmly. “I got you. You’re doing fine. You’ll be up and outta here in no time.”
Petr turned the saddest eyes towards Thibido that Craigen had ever seen. “Please, you must tell my father…”
“Petr Ivanov from Novosibirsk, your daddy's name is Sergei." For perhaps the first time in his life, Craigen heard Thibido enunciate slowly and clearly, hiding nearly all traces of his thick Cajun accent. "Don't worry son, if it comes to that, I got you. I got you."
“He was a conscript. Dey pulled him right off the street and drafted him on the spot. Can you believe that?” Thibido explained later that night. “His commanders told him that the Chinese had done gone and betrayed the Ruskies. Dey was in cahoots, sure enough. The plan was for the Ruskies to do the dirty work in Ukraine, and while the world was lookin’ away, China would come in and swoop up control of the world’s money supply."
“How could China betray Russia?” Kedzierski wanted to know.
“According to Pete," that's how Thibido referred to the now-deceased Russian soldier, "Durn China’s gone an attacked Vladivostok.”
“What?” Craigen sat up, spilling his coffee over the table.
“That’s what he told me, Rattle.” Thibido nodded sagely. “Pete said the Chinese figured Putin was losin' the war here, so it was time for a little payback."
“Payback for what?” Craigen asked, astonished. “Didn’t China and Russia just sign some sort of ‘eternal friendship’ declaration?”
“That was the Russia-China Partnership Agreement, signed in February,” said Bolanger. “They agreed to a partnership without any limitations.”
“Well, it don't look like that partnership was worth the paper it was written on." Despite the combative tone of his words, Thibido's hand trembled as he reached for his coffee cup. "Pete told me that the Ruskie's took Siberia from the Chinese after WWII. Who knew?"
“You ok, Scooter?” Craigen asked when Thibido set the cup back down.
Thibido shook his head and swiped at his thick mustache, “I can tell you, Rattle, I’ve had better days.” A hush fell over the room, the entire team waiting to hear his next words.
As the silence grew uncomfortably long, Craigen filled the conversational void, "You made more of a difference to that young man than you’ll ever know.”
Tears glistened in the corner of Thibido’s eyes when he raised them to meet Craigen’s questioning look. “Pete got it just like Randy did.”
Craigen choked up. Randy was Thibido’s son. Lost him to an IED attack in Iraq.
“I wished someone had been there to hold his hand when he passed.”
He never talks about Randy. Craigen reached out and placed a hand on Thibido's shoulder. He held it for a moment before pulling him into an embrace, "C'mon in, bro." Craigen held him as the shudder of Thibido’s wracking sobs shook him.
After the storm of emotion passed, Craigen realized that both Kedzierski and Bolanger had joined the two men in a group hug. How did this happen? He was a bit bewildered by the team dynamic, but whatever was happening made him happy in a bittersweet way. Somehow my crew is coming together again.
Thibido pulled away. Wiped his nose again and said gruffly. “Now don’t you all go getting soft on me now. You don’t have to worry about ‘ole Scooter. Heck, I can’t even spell PTSD!” This made everyone laugh.
Craigen smiled, relieved by the break in tension, but still concerned. I’ll have to keep my eye on him, he thought.
“Well Scooter,” Craigen returned to his seat at the table, “If what Pete told you is true, this changes everything. I’d better get on the horn and call HQ to see what’s going on.”
Craigen wasn’t overly concerned about China attacking Vladivostok. The Palanca Camp was filled with all sorts of wild rumors, it was impossible to keep track of all the information coming at him daily. It's not my job to figure it out, that's what HQ is for. So he waited until the PIRA team was awake and on duty back in the United States before calling in. After discussing the team's operations and status, he asked, “There’s a rumor floating around here that now China’s invading Russia. Is that true?”
The Operation Officer’s voice was thin and mechanical over the sat phone as the news was confirmed. “What? No, that’s not true. Where did you hear that?”
Craigen explained Thibido’s conversation with the dying Russian conscript and his team’s concerns.
“No, there hasn't been any Chinese invasion of Russia," The Operations Officer denied the report, “But there has been an interesting development. Beijing has demanded the port at Vladivostok as collateral for the war loans Russia is requesting. We think that Xi must have expected Putin to take Ukraine quickly. But since Putin’s forces have performed so abysmally, China sees this as an opportunity to renew a historical claim on that territory.”
“That’s sounds crazy, Chief,” Craigen’s expression was pinched as he attempted to make sense of what he was hearing. “Are they using debt as some kind of weapon now? What possible historic claim does China have on Vladivostok?”
“The Chinese name for Vladivostok is Hǎishēnwǎi," the Operations Officer explained patiently, "it was the home of the Qing Dynasty, and taken by the Russians in 1860 after the Second Opium War. Besides, the Chinese have been using debt as a weapon for years; they're masters at it."
“I thought the Chinese were going after Taiwan.”
“After the way the whole world pulled together to ostracize Russia, we think that Xi figures Taiwan might be too costly to attack right now. Going after Vladivostok is basically the same as Taiwan, but with Putin bogged down in Ukraine, it’s a much easier target.”
Craigen was silent for a long time.
“You still there, Rattle?”
"Yeah Chief," Craigen replied slowly, "I just didn't know about any of that. We all thought the Ukrainian resistance was crumbling.”
“The Ukrainians have really taken the fight to the Russians. But nobody believes they can hold out forever. We think the resistance will collapse any day now.” Then the Operations Officer elaborated, “In fact, the only thing salvaging the deteriorating Ukrainian military situation may be the dismal performance of the Russian military. It’s giving us some hope for a positive outcome.”
“It sounds to me like Russia now has a war on two fronts. Is this something we need to be worried about?” Craigen asked. “How will this impact our operations here?”
You are the Chief of the PIRA Operations Center. You make the call:
Choose Option 1: Despite China’s betrayal, Putin is accepting the loan package with Vladivostok as collateral and has vowed to continue the fight in Ukraine for as long as it takes. He’s got too much on the line to ever pull out of there without a victory. This isn’t going to end any time soon. You’ve been doing great work and helped save thousands of lives, but we need to start making plans to replace your team.
Choose Options 2: Despite China’s betrayal, Putin is accepting the loan package with Vladivostok as collateral. Russia’s using the peace talks as cover to regroup and reorganize for the next offensive. The Ukrainians are spent, and we don’t think Kyiv can withstand another attack. We’re hearing that Zelenskyy is seriously wounded, and they think he's been moved out of the country. I know your team is exhausted, but we need you to hang on a little longer.