Chapter Ten;
Dead Men, Live Men

Time since Bomber's kidnapping: 45hrs, 1min

The night before the younger members of the crew and a few of the army men had gathered around to talk. In the corner of the mess Spider had watched them, Bomber's Atlas on his lap. He wasn't sure why, but he didn't like them. Whether it was just these men in general or how easily they had risked their lives to help the Hammersley. He didn't know that his thoughts were being echoed by the ship's command, he just thought he was being paranoid, and eventually put down the Atlas to speak to them. As he'd joined them he found RO and Scruffy in a conversation about encryption codes, what she was now using to keep the Hammersley off Kanimbla's radar and their radios off the main system. RO looked thoroughly impressed, but as Spider listened he just got more and more confused.

"Essentially the encryption code works like those on computers do. They mask the real message, making it only capable to be read by those with the right code. See, the code is a string of unintelligible characters, something very hard to hack into. It works on a mathematical formula." She beamed, clearly enjoying herself.

RO gaped then got his voice back. "But surely someone can hear it, know it's there, hack into it?"

Scruffy nodded. "Of course they can. Any cryptologist can do it. But how many cryptologists have you met in the Navy? I know one that works at base but even he couldn't get this one. Anyway, that's why we're sending our messages on a different signal to the one the Navy employs. A civilian signal. To anyone hearing our message it sounds like whale song on a civilian signal. I think it would be hilarious." She laughed a high tinkering laugh that made Spider look up from staring at the table.

RO nodded back at her. "So it sounds like what? Whale song?" He frowned, but an amused frown.

Scruffy shrugged. "Not exactly. White noise with a few noises of crackles and stuff broken in. Like your Buffer said he heard from your radios when you were on the island. Hopefully these codes have fixed that problem too. See, when you put up a code it not only keeps the information from going out, it also stops interruptions going in. Clearly somewhere on that island is a power source that affects the radio signals. Now there's a firewall between the radios and the outside world you'll have clearer radios too."

"But what about radar? Did you use the same thing on those?"

Scruffy shook her head. "No, that was steganography, made you invisible on the Kanimbla radars. I had to do that to the Kanimbla itself, so on all other radars you're still there. But on all other radars you're an unregistered civilian boat. Of course, no use to you if someone actually looks out from the island and sees the ship. I can't make you literally invisible, just electronically invisible. Steganography hides your ship. On the radar of the Kanimbla you're hidden by interference. When they look on the radar at the spot where your ship is, all they see is black fuzz. They assume nothing, just interference from the island. The fact that the island seems to be full of interference will help that cause. And that's why you have to hide the Hammersley from naked eyes. All my good work will be wasted."

RO shook his head in awe. "How did you manage this?"

"Our radar operator and navigator, Radar, is good at his job but gets bored easily. He looked away, I pounced. It's easy once you have the right codes and access. Being the Communications and Information Sailor helps."

"Don't get her talking about herself, she'll go on for hours." Said a voice from the door. They looked up at the army leader they had seen earlier, a balding man in his late 20s. Spider and RO frowned, but Scruffy grinned and waved him in, introducing the sailors in front of her. The man introduced himself as Warrant Officer Phil Riley. Scruffy frowned at him. "Call him Black Box."

RO laughed, seemingly getting the joke, but Spider frowned again. Black Box explained. "She," He thumbed towards Scruffy. "… thought I needed a Navy-style nickname."

"And like all good black boxes, he's full of information he only ever reveals after everyone needs it." She grinned up at him warmly.

He directed his comment to her. "I'm going out with the others tomorrow morning alright." He lowered his voice so the others wouldn't hear. Bored, RO looked away, but his suspicions raised Spider leant forward a little to hear them. They didn't notice him. "Remember what I told you to do right?"

Scruffy nodded slowly, looking him in the eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'll do it, I promise." She gave him a weak smile and he kissed her forehead before looking back up at Spider with a grin that the young sailor thought was so fake. "You coming out tomorrow mate?" He asked Spider.

Spider nodded. "Yeah." He said softly.

Black Box grinned. "Save the girl, that's my boy." Scruffy whacked him, clearly embarrassed by his forwardness. He laughed. "Long as she's worth it buddy. I got this one by having the misfortune of working with her father." He patted Scruffy's shoulder as she made to hit him again, then left the room. Scruffy just gave him an apologetic smile and followed him out. Spider watched them go now even more sure that he didn't want Black Box and his men anywhere near the rescue mission.


It was early, very early, as the two RHIBs bounced across the water towards the beach they had landed on the day before to pick up the army men. In the first RHIB was the first search party consisting of the CO, Pierce and Dutchy. With them were Black Box and four of his men. In the second RHIB was the second search party of Buffer, Swain and Spider as well as Haynes and the rest of the army men. All eyes were on the beach in front of them, deathly silent in the dawn light. The CO glanced back at Black Box who gave him a smile then turned his eyes back to the beach. He still wasn't sure about the army men, but had assigned them a back-up task anyway, hoping he wouldn't have to use them. He wanted this extraction quick and painless, now having narrowed the search area down to a matter of houses thanks to information from Black Box about the basic layout of the village and what houses had been covered in bodies. There had been a pattern to the death, a steady line leading to a group of houses on the outskirts of the town, all small and silent hidden away in trees. The two search parties were to start at each end and work their way through the houses, entering the small thatched houses through the roof where they wouldn't be expected. If the house was empty or clean, it was back through the roof and onto the next one. Out of the front of the houses the army men hid, standing guard in case anyone moved during this time. Their task was to capture anyone seen moving between the homes in case they were relaying information about the Navy men. But if the captives turned dangerous, they were free to shoot. The CO couldn't believe it had come to this, but they knew now that they didn't have long to get their men. Drastic measures needed to be taken.

Reaching the shore they split up, Buffer leading his men south towards the docks and their end, the CO and Black Box leading their men east and around to the other side of the small village. Black Box and his men dropped into the bushes and disappeared from sight as they reached the village, but the CO and the others continued, heading for the first house on their short list. It was all quiet and as they rounded to the back of the house, guns held high, they peered through the windows. There was no one inside. In fact, scanning the house and finding every room had windows, they gathered this wasn't the house they were looking for. Not bothering to go inside, they moved on to the next one. The next one was much the same, deathly quiet, and they worried that they had already missed the movement. But when they reached the third one they found someone awake. And he had heard them coming. They dropped to the ground as he fired through the window. Then the firefight began.


Over on the other side of the village Buffer looked up at the sound of gunfire. They'd checked three houses so far, all of them deathly silent and empty. Like the CO they were starting to worry they had missed the move of Bomber and ultimate death of Caesar. But then they heard the fighting and Black Box's voice across the radio. He was asking who it was firing. The CO answered. "Hostiles, 4 of them. I repeat, 4 hostiles. House 3 east. Assistance required."

Black Box replied. "Sending 6 men to you now sir." Then the radio fuzzed over again.

Buffer put his radio down feeling no need to reply. Instead he motioned to the others to keep moving. At the fifth house the sound of gunfire got louder and Buffer could see movement on the other side of a small patch of trees. They kept pressed to the side of the house, hidden from view, and scanned the house. Unlike the others this one had few windows and this struck them as odd. But then, would you want to keep prisoners in a house with windows? Windows were the perfect way to escape. So, taking a leg-up from Swain, Buffer climbed onto the roof, pulling Swain and Spider up behind him. From up here they could see the fight below. The army men had the hostiles surrounded, but the islanders kept firing. Strangely enough, they had dumped the crossbows and were now armed with guns. Hand guns. They had nothing on the army's assault rifles. The stand would be over soon. Meanwhile Buffer knew he could use the opportunity of gunfire sounds to start cutting into the weakened roof. The plan to enter through the roof had been thought up by Swain after he'd noticed holes in the rooves of many houses in the small village they had been attacked in two days earlier. Clearly the islanders entered premises through the roof. And for that reason they likely wouldn't expect the Navy men to do the same. They also found the rooves were weaker than the walls, built of only one layer of timber rather than the wall's three. So cutting through was easier. Use their own methods against them. It nearly always worked.

Once they had a hole big enough they stepped back in case there came any gunfire from below. There was none. Instead the radio crackled again. "Sir, three hostiles down. I've sent two men after the last one. You're free to continue your search." It was Black Box.

This time Buffer did pick up his radio. "Negative sir. The other houses are full of hostiles, guard houses."

The CO's voice came through. "Agreed Buffer. I guess this means you have good news for me."

Buffer smiled as he peered down into the hole. "Indeed sir."


In the small house Caesar lifted his eyes at the sound of movement of the roof. He glanced at Bomber who was still barely conscious against the wall. He moved closer to her to protect her from whatever was coming through the roof. Then, as suddenly as it had started the movement stopped and then there was a hole in the roof. Voices Caesar couldn't distinguish were heard and then, jumping through it, his gun held high and looking very driven, was Buffer. Caesar grinned as Buffer turned the gun on him then, seeing it was only them, lowered it.

"Good to see you too." Caesar smiled.

Bomber's voice piped up from behind Caesar. "Anyone makes a joke about dropping in and they'll be peeling potatoes for a year."


Spider and Swain followed Buffer through the roof, the pair of them pulled to the figure of Bomber. Caesar, limping badly, stood and talked to the man. "How do we get out of here Buff? You can't expect Bomber to get through the roof."

Buffer shook his head. "No, that's certainly not an option." He looked back at Bomber. Swain was checking her blood pressure and frowning. It didn't look good. "We go out the front door." He looked to Spider who, as if knowing he was being watched, looked up. Buffer waved him over. "Spider, give Caesar your gun."

Spider pulled it off himself quickly and handed it to his senior. "What we planning Buff? She's not great." Worry and anxiety was across Spider's face.

Buffer nodded. "I know Spider." He picked up his radio. "Black Box, we need the distraction now. We have our men."

Black Box's voice floated back through the radio. "You've got it Buffer. On my cue, prepare to go."

Buffer dropped the radio and went to the door. He motioned to Swain, who understood, and instructed Spider to pick up Bomber. Then he went to Caesar. "When Buffer instructs us, we make a run for it. We have a group of army men out there, present from the X, and they're distracting the islanders. Our job is to protect Spider and Bomber from gunfire. Got it?"

Caesar grinned. "Look at you Swain, you're basically an army man now. All strategy." Swain grinned and was about to speak when the sound of gunfire broke out. Giving the door in front of him a swift bullet to the lock and a heavy kick, the door was open and they were free. Breaking into a run, they got out of the house relatively easily before they came across the army men in a fierce battle with the islander men. Two of the army men swamped the Navy group as they got closer, but Black Box stayed back with his men. After 10 minutes of running they were out of sight and sound of the house and islanders. The soldiers turned and rushed back to battle, but the others trudged back to the beach where they could radio back to the Hammersley, contact with the ship still impeded by the metals in the island's core. Buffer changed radio frequencies and heard the familiar white noise, but as they reached the beach it cleared up. Glancing back at the others, Swain analyzing Caesar's leg and Spider talking animatedly with a still weak-looking Bomber, Buffer grabbed the radio.


On the bridge of the Hammersley everyone was waiting tensely. Of course they hadn't heard Buffer's speech to Black Box and so had no idea what was going on. Up here they were at the mercy of bad interference and Scruffy's encryption codes. But then, out of nowhere, Buffer's voice floated over the bridge.

"Ma'am, we've got them. He's fine, she's a bit sick. Tell everyone, they're going to be fine." Buffer's voice broke across the radio. RO grinned, a real grin. Nav breathed a sigh of relief. The X just nodded.

"Good news Buffer. See you soon." She put the radio down but no sooner had she done it when another voice came through.

"Lieutenant McGregor of the Hammersley, 82. This is Lieutenant Commander Price of the Kanimbla, 51. We know you're there, we received your last transmission."

Over by the EOD Scruffy gaped then leapt from her seat to see with RO what had gone wrong with the radio masking encryption code. Meanwhile Price continued.

"On behalf of the Australian Government I must inform you that you and your crew are officially under arrest. Return to base immediately for court marsh…" Static swept over him as Scruffy righted the mask, but it was too late. The crew of the Hammersley was under arrest.