Chapter 15.
"Search the entire ship. She must be onboard. Where's PO Brierley? Pipe him to the wardroom. PO Davies, bring one of those spooks to the bridge. I want answers. Green, take a crew to the engine room. Report on the damage. Move!"
The urgency in Jamie Patterson's voice was unmistakable.
The Coxswain Brierley returned with one of the ASIO operatives. Jamie turned to him. "Right. I want answers. I counted five of you on the RHIB. Now you're down to four and I have a damaged ship. Well?"
The spook said, "We all came down to the meeting spot. All of us. I thought we all boarded the RHIB –" he was interrupted by the radio.
"Charlie2 this is Xray2."
"Go ahead".
"Sir, we have taken six of the cell. One dead, three injured, and the three in custody. They've made it to the boats, and launched them. Sir, the deceased – he wasn't a terrorist – he was one of the operatives."
"Understood. Standby." Jamie turned to the spook. "You heard that? They've swapped one of theirs for one of yours. One of them has boarded this ship, and caused significant damage."
The operative was silent. "Take him below," said Jamie.
"Yes sir," Brierley stepped forward and they walked off the bridge. Jamie followed and headed for the ward room where Jack Rogers had been taken. The secondary medic was attending to him.
"How is he?" asked Jamie.
"He's stable, sir. However, I can't do much more for him. He needs to be in hospital. I've given him an injection for pain, and monitoring his airways. There's no telling if he has sustained damage to his lungs until we get him to hospital."
"Carry on," said Jamie. He turned on his heel and returned to the bridge. As he reached there, LS Kathy Green was waiting to make her report.
"Sir, we have searched the entire ship. Our CO is definitely not onboard. Both engines are damaged, and there is buckling in the aft bulkhead in that compartment. There doesn't appear to be any water ingress as yet, sir."
Jamie turned to his RO. "Get me NAVCOM".
A few seconds later the RO said, "Sir, I have Cmdr Marshall."
Jamie grabbed the mouthpiece. "Sir, this is Lt. Jamie Patterson, XO of Hammersley. Sir, we have six of the terrorist cell in custody on the Island. All but one of the ASIO operatives have been picked up and are onboard."
Marshall interrupted, "Four? There's supposed to be five, Lieutenant. Where's the other one?"
"He's dead, sir. He was killed by the cell, and they inserted one of their own into the party we brought back on the RHIB. In the dark and rain, we couldn't make out who it was. One of them came onboard undercover, and set explosives in the engine compartment. One of the engines is considerably damaged, and our Chief Marine Engineer badly injured. He needs to get to hospital as soon as possible. And sir, the terrorist managed to get off the ship unnoticed, and we have reason to believe they took the CO. She is not onboard. She was last seen in the vicinity of the engine room…" Steve Marshall heard the young man's voice falter.
"Lieutenant, now's the time to step up. You are now acting CO. Your crew need you to keep calm. Now, I'll notify Childers to send RHIBs to collect the SAS team and the terrorists. I'll advise Fleet Command. We can't get your chief to hospital until first light. In the meantime, your priority is to search for Lt-Commander McGregor-Flynn. Understand?"
"Yes, sir." Jamie handed the instrument back to the RO, and ordered him to watch the radar. "Keep your bloody eyes on it, we need to find that terrorist boat. I want to get our CO back."
Jamie sent for his buffer to assemble a search party.
At NAVCOM, Cmdr Steve Marshall sat with his headset still on and his head in his hands. Kate. Where is she?
He stood up. Firstly, he put a call through to Fleet Command. Then he gave orders to the Patrol Boat fleet on deployment to search for the terrorist boats.
Then, with a heavy heart, he called Mike Flynn.
Buffer was just finishing his beer, when he noticed the time. It was near midnight, and he stood up, and made to go. Just as he did, Mike's mobile rang.
"Mike Flynn. What? When? Right. On my way."
Mike turned to Buffer. "I've got to get to NAVCOM. There's been an explosion on one of the ships. Can you stay here? I'll get my parents to come down as soon as they can." He was grabbing car keys, hat and briefcase as he spoke.
Buffer said, "Mike. Which ship?"
Buffer then saw his former CO's face. Under the lights it was ashen. He said slowly, "It's Hammersley. And Kate's missing."
"WHAT?"
"That's all I know, Pete. Look, stay here with Jess, will you?"
"Boss, I'm a Reservist. You can activate me. I want to help." In his urgency, Pete had reverted to the old form of address.
"OK, when I get to NAVCOM, I'll see about it. Right now, I need you here."
Mike was gone, and Buff found he could not keep still. He paced the lounge room. He thought of sending a text to Nikki, but realised there was no point; she would have already been advised by NAVCOM. I'm gonna need a uniform…thank goodness I kept my diving certificate up to date.
Mike strode into NAVCOM and made straight for Steve Marshall's office.
"What happened?" he demanded.
Steve barely had time to stand and acknowledge his superior officer.
"Sir, the CO sent a RHIB under the XO's command to drop the SAS team and collect the ASIO operatives. All five, or so was thought were picked up. One of the terrorist cell had taken out an operative, and taken his place to get onboard Hammersley. They set explosives in the engine compartment, injuring the Chief, and then somehow disappeared overboard, taking the CO with them. Hammersley cannot move, her engines are down, the X has launched both RHIBs to look for Kate." Mike looked at his Commander, as he spoke his wife's name for the first time during his report.
Steve's voice softened. "We're doing all we can. I'm getting regular sitreps. Go get a brew, sir."
Mike went to get a coffee, then returned to his office. He picked up the phone, then realised he couldn't call his parents until morning. Nor could he activate Buffer.
He decided to call Buffer and give him a sitrep.
Kate, he thought, taking up the photo of the three of them from his desk.
Where are you?