Sacked!
A/N
This story takes a start in the beginning of Series 5 when the relation between Mike and Kate reached another rock bottom and Swain is still alive. Meanwhile someone else had more luck. The story below takes on two years later.
Ch 1. The world is small
Dylan
It was late in the afternoon and the sun started to throw a yellowish shine on everything. It had been a sunny day and it was an ideal moment to end the day with a fresh beer.
Dylan limped along inside the pub supported by his cane. He ordered a beer from the bar and then went out to sit down outside on a bar stool. He hung his cane at the high table and grimaced.
Bloody cane. Luckily I don't have trouble with driving.
He took a gulp and enjoyed the taste.
Who has been lucky now? Me? Because I could stay employed or my colleagues who got fired after the reorganisation? It would have been better if I had been fired as well. Then I'll always be still mobile. Look at me now. A war invalid with a crippled leg. With that stupid cane I'm looking like an old man!
His mobile buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket.
He smiled when he saw caller's name on the display, 'Charlie'.
"Hey, sister, how're you doing?", he said.
"Hi Dylan, I'm fine and you?", she replied.
"Fairly well, I'm sitting at a terrace with a beer", he replied with a grin.
"Yeah, that sounds great, but where are you and what are you doing?", she asked.
"Well, I'm in Melbourne for the moment and I'm hanging around, traveling, you know", he said.
"Hmm, isn't it about time for you to look for something decent like a job, for example?", she said.
"Nah, I'm not ready for it now. I want to enjoy life, I want to move", he replied.
"To move? In your state?", she replied suspiciously.
"Charlie, for the same price I could have been dead or in a wheel chair. I've a handicap but I can still walk and drive, so. And I'm working on it to get rid of it", he said sipping from his beer.
"Yes, ok, I'm just worried about you. Don't stay idle for too long, that's also not good", she said.
"I know Charlie, I know, it's just the matter to find something that fits me and that I like".
"Uh-hu".
"How's the farm doing and father?", he asked.
"Busy as usual. There's always something to do. And dad? Hmm, difficult. He's getting more and more stubborn over the month. He insisted to take care of the finances while I run the farm", she said.
"Ok, sounds good. Listen, if there's something, call me", Dylan replied.
"Yep, will do and take care of yourself", she said before closing the call.
He smiled again and took another sip.
My older sister, Charlotte, Charlie for short, she'll manage. The farm became her life. I think that she forgot to fall in love with somebody. Maybe one day I'll tell her, although she can say the same from me…
He smiled sadly and looked outside. Across the street there was a show-card of the next musical in Sydney, "The King And I", played by Lisa McCune and Teddy Tahu Rhodes. The picture showed a huge photo of Lisa in a cream coloured dress of the musical.
Dylan smiled when he saw the picture.
Kate's favourite culture events, musicals. It's amazing how she resembles at Lisa McCune, especially when she has her hair up. For a special event, she was really dressed up with an amazing sexy gown. It was for an informal Navy charity ball. She had her hair done and it looked a bit like the picture. If you didn't know them well, you might believe that they are sisters.
Where could she be now?
Damn, we've had a good time on board of Hammersley until that stupid government decided to reduce the number of people in the Navy. They shifted the surveillance of our borders to the coast guard. But the coast guard have their own staff and we were fired. Although some were lucky enough to keep their jobs, probably thanks to their good connections. Mike for instance. It was obvious that Knocker kept her hand above his head. She had clearly kept a close eye on him. And on his …, no, their son, Ryan, too.
Dylan chuckled.
Bird too. She has been lucky enough to be Ryan's girlfriend, otherwise she would have been fired too!
Me too. Probably they needed someone who was keen of action and they've sent me to Afghanistan. I guess that my previous Gulf experience and my medal had to do with it.
But all the others? They were all fired, thrown away like a piece of trash. A pity for all these qualified people. Swain, RO, Harpie, Charge, 2Dads and Kate. Nobody was happy with it, but they coped rather well with it, except for Kate. She was really upset, she didn't expect her life to be put upside down. I haven't had the opportunity anymore to have a rational chat with her. She didn't say anything anymore; I think she couldn't. The last memory I have from her was when she shook my hand with eyes filled with tears. She wanted to say something but no sound came out of her throat and she shook her head. She turned around and stepped quickly away. I called her, but she didn't hear anymore. Painful.
Where could she be now? I tried to call her but she never took my calls and in Afghanistan my mobile got destroyed by the explosion with consequent loss of all my phone numbers. Moreover I don't have her personal email address. That was a stupid mistake on my part to never have asked for it.
Weird, I can't get her out of my mind.
Although, it's not that weird buddy. She's an amazing woman and you feel for her.
He noticed that an older man sitting at the table next door was also staring at the show-card of the King And I.
"Don't get the lady out of the show-card", he said grinning at the man.
He turned towards Dylan. "She reminds me of my daughter", he answered.
Dylan chuckled and took a sip. "Which man woudn't want to have such a daughter", he said.
The man smiled sadly, looked back at the show-card and said, "Well I think she should look like that now".
He's from abroad.
"You're not sure? Then it has been a long time since you saw her?", Dylan said intrigued by the weird answer.
He nodded slowly. "She was nine when I saw her for the last time and that was 28 years ago", he said slowly as he stared at Lisa's photo.
Weird, I've already heard this kind of story. That means that this kind of situations are not particular cases.
"You're not from here, isn't it?", he asked him.
"No, I'm from England."
No?! This would be really a strange coincidence. Kate also came from England.
He looked at the man more closely now.
He looks a bit like her. The same nose and the same green eyes.
"May I ask for your name sir?", Dylan asked him.
"McGregor, Arthur McGregor. Why?", the man said.
To be continued