Chapter 17.
Charge was having his breakfast before going to work. He was in a happy mood; his date with Amy was a huge success. He thought about taking her and the kids to the coast for a bit of fishing for the weekend. As he sipped his coffee, he was smiling to himself as he planned the weekend in his head. Just then, his mobile rang.
"Andy Thorpe," he said into it.
"Charge? It's Pete, mate. Howya goin'?"
"Good mate. I'm about to go to work. What's up?"
"Charge, all hell's broken loose here. The operation has gone down the tubes. They've only got some of the terrorists; one of them boarded Hammersley and set explosives. They blew the engines up. Hammersley can't move. I've activated my Reserve status. We need you too, mate."
"No, Pete. Don't go there. I'm done with bloody Hammersley, OK? I'm sorry about the damage, but it's not my problem. Besides, they have a Marine Engineer, don't they?"
Buffer sighed. Patiently, he said, "That's just it, mate. Their Chief was hurt in the explosion. Childers is steaming for home as we speak, to get him to hospital. There's more mate –"
Charge cut in. "I don't want to bloody hear! Look, I have to get to work –"
Buffer said quietly, "It's Kate McGregor-Flynn. She's missing, Charge. They don't know where she is. There's a massive search happening for her. Look mate, nobody knows those bloody engines as well as you."
"No."
"Charge. Please. It's Kate. I know you don't give a stuff about Mike, but don't take it out on her. Hammersley needs to get moving. The ship needs her CO. Come on, Charge. It's Kate. What would Swaino do?"
There was silence on the other end. Buffer didn't know what more he could say to the big feller wrestling with his conscience.
Finally, Charge said, "I'll call you back, OK? I need to think."
"Sure, but don't take too long. We've a chopper on standby from one of the rigs. It will fly you to HMAS Coonawarra then we'll get you onboard a ship and activate you. We need you, mate."
Buffer cut the call. He saw the Childers approaching.
Charge finished dressing, grabbed his work bag and went out the door, slamming it behind him. His mind was in a turmoil. He didn't want to hear about Hammersley, yet he couldn't stop thinking of Kate.
Kate. The best damn XO he had ever served under; in twenty years in the Navy, he'd never known anyone like her. Tough on the exterior, yet soft inside. She'd been good to him, back when he had been stabbed on a boarding. He continued wrestling with his conscience, then could stand it no longer. He walked to Amy's house and banged on the door.
"Who's that? Oh, it's you, Andy!" Amy opened the door in surprise. "Where's the fire?" she added, jokingly. Then she saw his face.
"Andy? What is it? What's wrong?" She took his hands and drew him into the house. The kids were preparing to leave for school.
"Hang on a bit," she said, and went back to the flurry of school preparation, lunches, backpacks, homework. Then she gave each child a hug and said "Off you go, Andy and I have to talk."
"OK," said Emmett. "Bye, Mum, bye Andy". Kristy and Darcie echoed him, then they were out the door heading for the small school in the town.
Amy looked at Charge. "Right, out with it. What's up?"
"I had a call from Buffer – Peter – you know, the new truck driver."
Amy was puzzled. "He's on leave, isn't he? In Cairns, seeing his girlfriend?"
Charge nodded, "He was, then I get this phone call, see? He tells me that some operation against a terrorist cell has gone wrong, the Hammersley has been blown up, they've lost their Chief Engineer through injury and the CO is missing. Kate McGregor-Flynn. You know, I went to their wedding a few years back? Pete wants me to go Active Reserve and go help onboard Hammersley."
Amy said, "You will, won't you?"
Charge turned away. "I don't know. I haven't been on that bloody boat since I discharged, and I don't want to see Mike Flynn." He sounded petulant.
Amy strode toward him and stood in front of him. Her hands were on her hips and her eyes flashed.
"Now, look here, Andy Thorpe, enough about Mike Flynn! It's time you moved on from that. Whether or not you agree, he was NOT responsible for your friend's death. And speaking of friends, they need you. In Cairns. On that ship.
Peter is there, shouldn't you be too? Besides, wouldn't your friend Swain be in there too, if he was alive? Come on Andy, they need you. I can take over things at the office. The company can release you. Let's go see the boss, huh? Come on Andy, do it for your friends. Do it for me."
Andy looked down at this woman with whom he was rapidly falling in love. He sighed, took her in his arms, and kissed her.
"All right. I'll do it. For you. And Swain."
"Just one thing, "said Amy.
"What's that?"
"You come back to me in one piece."
"I will," he said, and held her to him.
HMAS Childers came alongside. As she did so, Buffer's mobile rang.
"Charge?"
"Right-o, mate. I'll do it."
"Great. Thanks mate. A chopper from the nearest platform will land at the helipad near the mine in 30 minutes. You'll fly to HMAS Coonawarra. Once there, you'll be activated and kitted up. Then we'll get you onboard a Patrol boat and get you out there. Mate, what changed your mind?"
"Amy," he said simply.
Buffer chuckled, "Told you she's the one for you!"
He then hung up and called NAVCOM. He was surprised when Mike Flynn took the call. "Boss? Charge is on his way."
"Thanks, Buff. Thanks."
Smiling, Buffer went towards the Childers. He helped with getting Jack Rogers off the ship and toward the ambulance. Then, shaking hands with Dutchy after he'd delivered the terrorists to the Federal Police, accompanied him onboard to the bridge to report to the XO of Childers.
At NAVCOM, Mike called Cmdr Steve Marshall into his office. Steve had not long returned after snatching a few hours' sleep and some breakfast.
"Sir?"
"Steve, I've activated Chief Petty Officer Andy Thorpe to active duty. He's being flown to HMAS Coonawarra. See that the nearest asset to there gets him onboard Hammersley. He knows those engines. Any more news?"
"Childers has just returned with three of the terrorists and the ASIO team. She's then going back out. All boats are still looking. Bendigo has been rotating RHIB crews with Hammersley. Clearance Diver Team One is onboard Wollongong. Clearance Diver Team Two still onboard Bendigo assisting the RHIB teams."
"Damn." Mike stood up and felt the stab of pain again. Grimacing, he said, "I want those spooks in here now. I want to know what happened. Get that SAS team in here as well. I want to know what their story is." He raised his voice," To let a terrorist operative on board a Navy ship is unacceptable! Do you hear?"
"Yes sir." Then Steve lowered his voice, "We'll find her. We will. Meantime sir, would you please go to Medical and have your leg seen to?"
Mike glared at him. Then he said, "Yeah. OK. I'll go now. Keep me informed, and get those spooks and the SAS team here."
Steve Marshall watched him go. Then he walked away to carry out his orders.
Sitting in the waiting room at the medical centre, Mike was regretting his outburst. He realised that he was on edge waiting to hear about Kate, but he was angry with the ASIO and SAS teams. How could they have let this happen? And Dutchy, of all people on that team! Mike had recommended him personally. He would get to the bottom of this. Heads would roll. And if Kate wasn't found, he'd go to the highest level in Canberra. He stopped this pointless thinking; he could do nothing until he heard both stories, and the results of investigations with the Australian Federal Police.
The best news he had yet was that Charge had capitulated and agreed to become an active Reservist. How did Buffer manage that? Or perhaps there's a lady in his life? Mike recalled how Charge seemed to be Hammersley's permanent bachelor, having never had a serious relationship, aside from a couple of foolish liaisons, since he divorced his first wife.
The magazine he held did not absorb his interest. He idly flipped the pages as his mind raced through possible scenarios of Kate's disappearance. And not one of them looked good. Damn, this waiting around is driving me up the wall. Mike wished, not for the first time, that he was out there, at sea, driving the operation from his favourite Patrol boat. He began to think of his little girl, at home with her grandparents. Would Jessica grow up to join the Navy? Would he lose her, like Chloe lost Swain? Should he encourage her into the Navy? He was relieved that she was only a toddler and there were plenty of years for that. He looked up as the doctor called, "Captain Flynn?"
Mike went into the doctor's surgery.
On board Childers, the XO hung up. He piped the ASIO and SAS teams to the bridge. When they responded, the XO said, "That was NAVCOM. You, and you, -" he indicated the team leaders, "are to report to NAVCOM at the rush. All of you. We will wait until we know if you're required back onboard. There's been a change of orders. PO Tomaszewski, you are to remain onboard. You will be attached to this ship's crew, until advised further."
"Aye sir." Buff then left the bridge to head for the senior sailors' mess, while the others went down the gangway headed for NAVCOM.
As Dutchy went with the others, he felt a certain amount of apprehension. He had to take a share of responsibility for the bungled operation, and indirectly, for the disappearance of Kate. He hoped not to face Mike over this. Although it was highly likely that he would. He was not involved in the SAS team's debrief, as he was guarding the terrorists in Austere. What happened out there? Is there a rogue spook? Dutchy looked at them, with distrust written all over him for them.
When they reached NAVCOM, Cmdr Marshall received them. He separated the teams and took the SAS team with him to the briefing room. He did not invite them to sit down. Presently the door opened, and Captain Mike Flynn entered. The men stood to attention as the most senior officer came in, and seated himself. Only then, were the men invited to sit.
"Gentlemen," said Cmdr Marshall coolly, "I am asking you to explain how one of the ASIO operatives was killed, and how one of the terrorists managed to get onboard Hammersley undetected, set explosives, and abduct the Commanding Officer, Lt-Cmdr Kate McGregor-Flynn. I need hardly to remind you of the severity of this, not to mention possible charges."
Dutchy saw Mike staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Captain Wentworth was about to begin his narrative.