Swamp Safari
A small island without a name, only a tiny splash on the map. Maybe 3 square kilometers. "3 Square kilometers of swamps, mangroves and crocodiles"LTC Mike Flynn said to himself, and then he gaved his orders to the Female Officer next to him:"XO, grab Buffer, Bomber and Spider, you just volunteered for a little safari."
"Aye Sir"Kate answered" Why the bad guys never choose a nice, dry and sunny place with no reptiles?""If they would do so they would be fast overruned by tourists" Nav said, who heard the chat of her leading officers."Next time I buy a safari ticket for you too" Kate answered, and then she left to meet the landing team at the armory.
As she arrived there, Buffer and Bomber checked her weapons. "CO ordered full body armour, rifle and sidearm for everyone."Buffer told her and gave her a hevlar vest and a helmet.
"Thank you, Buffer. Where is Spider?"Kate asked.
"Spider is at the toilet,Ma'am" Bomber said with a smile. He was a little bit togreedy at the dinner, and my Chili was a little bit too strong for him I guess"
At the same moment Spider came in:"I am sorry, but I think I am too sick to go on landing party" Buffer answered with a grin:" Remember your first day aboard? That was much more worse than this, or not? Now grab your gear and come, the RHIB is waiting"
Everyone climbed into the RHIB, and the boat drove them to the beach. After landing XO ordered:"We operate in 2 groups, Me and Spider are Fox-1 and Buffer-Bomber Fox-2. You all know why we are here: NAVCOM suspects a weapon smuggler stash on this island. This means that maybe the smugglers are here remember that crocodiles and other dangerous animals live in those swamps too. So stay focused. Let's start our little safari''
The two teams started to search the island, Fox-1 went north, Fox-2 goes south into the swamps.
Bomber walked very close next to Buffer through the swamp for a couple of minutes, than she broke the silence:"Do you thing that there is really a stash on this godforsaken place?" "Well, I think that this would be a great place to hide. And it seems liks allmighty NAVCOM thinks so too",Buffer answered.
At this moment gunfire started close by them, and they take cover behind a fallen tree and answered fire with their rifles, and Buffer requested urgent support from Fox-1 via radio:
"Fox-1, we are under gunfire in the middle of the south swamp area, we need you here ASAP,Over!"
"Roger that, we are inbound, we will need 7 minutes"
"Ok, we will defend our position,Out"Buff said and shooted a few bursts with his gun.
The enemy was hiding in a small wooden cabin who was nearly perfect camouflaged. Buffer throwed a smoke grenade over the tree, reloaded, looked to Bomber and asked her:"Everything ok,Rebecca?""Seems like I got a hit on the vest, but no injury. It only hurts a bit while breathing, and I maybe sprained my foot while jump into cover" "Ok, keep your head down" she answered, and tried not to show how worried he was about her.
XO:"Fox-2, we are in the area now, next to your position. Any suggestions?"
Buff:"Yes, I gave you cover fire, and you try to get into the cabin from behind"
XO:"Sounds like a plan. Gave us 15 seconds, then start fire"
"Roger that, over and out"Buff replied and laid one hand on bombers shoulder, looked at her and started counting. At 10 he aimed at the cabin's window with his scope, and at 15 he started to shoot. After the 3rd shot he heard someone yelling inside,then the order to cease the fire trough the radio, and then a loud "Crack".
The "Crack" was the door of the cabin as Spider kicked it in. he and XO aimed inside and yelled:"Freeze!Weapons down!"
The 2 men inside followed the order.
One was wounded by Buffers fire, a simply graze at the shoulder. Spider handcuffed both. As he was finished, Bomber came in, supported by Buffer. She made the wounded men a bandage. Then the 4 Navy soldiers sweeped the small cabin. They found 3 long wooden cases, and as they opened them they are filled with RPG7 rocket reported the situation to the CO.
"Great catch, XO. Come back aboard, I sent an other group to bring the weapons on the ship."
XO and Spider escorted the prisoners to the beach, the others followed them. After a few steps Bomber fall down, Buffer helped her up, and then he decided to carry her to the RHIB.
From the bridge of the Hammersley Nav saw through her binoculars that Buffer came out of the swamp with Bomber on his arms and smiled, and she registered that the CO next to her was smiling too.
Back aboard the prisoners got arrested and Buff escorted Bomber into the officer's mess, where Swain, the Hammersley's first medic, already was waiting to check her. After a few minutes he diagnosed:" Maybe a broken rib, and a sprained leg. That means a visit at the hospital and a few weeks light duty minimum"
"I am OK,-" she said, but she got interrupted by Buffer:" You heard him. Hospial check and light duty" She saw his worry about her in his eyes, and smiled at him "Okay, light duty and hospital check. Anyhing else, Doctor Tomaszewski?"
At the bridge CO ordered:"When the Weapons are all aboard coure for home port with full power. I think NavCom will be very interested in what we have found, and maybe our mute passengers can help us to find the head behind this operation. They are only small fishs. We will try to cut this beast the head off before more weapons come into this area".