Hammersley pulled into port at 1500 hours on March 2nd for what was to be a usual two-week turn-around.
"Welcome home, Babe," Josh pulled her close for a hug and kiss. Gale was perched on his back in her carrier, so after sharing a kiss, he stooped down so that Nikki could reach her. She lifted her from the carrier and held her close.
"Mummy missed you little Poppet. Have you been a good girl for your daddy? Yes?"
"You know it, Babe. Let's get you home."
Nikki carried Gale, and Josh grabbed her seabag and slipped his arm around her while they walked to the car.
"Nikki, would you like to go out for dinner or are you too tired?"
"We can go out. How about Italian?"
"Ha," he chuckled, "I can always eat Italian," then he leaned in and kissed her. " Yum!" which caused a fit of giggles.
Later, over dinner..."We just found out as we were coming into port that our turn around is being cut short."
"Oh, how's that?"
" We go back out on the 4th; we're only getting two days. I'm going to be out for Gale's birthday," Nikki said, sounding crushed. "Bendigo threw a piston. We have to cover for them during repairs."
"When do they expect that you'll be coming back in?"
"After a usual 2 - week patrol. Bendigo should be back online by then. So, March 18th is when we will be expected back."
"Alright, we've been lucky so far with special occasions. It was inevitable that this would happen. We'll just celebrate when you get back. At least at this age, she won't know any better, so she won't mind. We can sing happy birthday over Skype, Yeah? "
"Josh…"
"I know it's not even close to being the same, but we're a Navy family, right? We make the best of things."
"Yeah, you're right, my husband, the voice of reason. I'm just disappointed."
"Yeah, I am too. How about we see if the grandparents can make the trip up? Make a real family party out of it. We can have it in the back garden. Invite Mike and Kate, Sally and Chris, and of course Emma. What do ya say?"
" I say that I love you, and that sounds really nice. Let's call them tomorrow," she said, smiling.
After getting home from dinner, they went for a short evening swim before getting Gale settled in for the night.
Gale was all tucked in; Josh put on some music, then snuggling on the couch they made- out like teenagers, after a while, they took it upstairs.
The next morning following their usual routine of a run and then breakfast, Josh called his mum about Gale's party.
"Hello, Josh!" his mother answered.
"Yey, Mum. How's everyone?"
"All good. And you? How's Nikki and our sweet Gale?"
"We're great, Mum, thanks. Listen, Nikki and I would love it if you could come up for Gales first birthday party."
"I can't believe that she will be a year old already! We'd love to come. Have you made plans yet?"
"No, we're just getting started. We wanted to find out if you and Nikki's parents would be able to come before figuring out the when."
"Will you not be having it on her birthday then?"
"No, unfortunately, the Navy being the Navy, Nikki is away that week, so we'll have to wait until she gets back. We're kind of looking at Saturday, March 27th."
"That should be fine; I don't see why it wouldn't. We could head up on Friday and stay until Sunday or Monday."
"Would you like me to find you a hotel room, or do you want to look into that yourself. We would love to have you here, but Nikki's parents will hopefully be coming too."
"Josh, no worries. They can stay with you."
"Oh, no, Mum. You forget...Nikki's mum can be...well, difficult. Nikki needs her space from her, so they will be staying in a hotel too. With neither of you staying here there shouldn't be an issue of hurt feelings."
"I get it, Josh, believe me. Nikki has enough stress in her life with her career. She doesn't need any from her family. No worries. So, how is Nikki?"
"She's great."
"Say 'hey' for us, and we send her our love."
"Okay, Mum, we'll talk soon."
"Will do. Bye, Luv."
"Bye, Mum."
Later, after lunch, Nikki called her parents. "Hey, Mum."
"Nikki, hi! You're home?"
"Yeah, got in yesterday."
"How is everyone? How's our gorgeous little grand-daughter? "
"She's wonderful, Mum."
"We just loved that video that you sent with her cruising around the furniture. It won't be long now and she will be walking.
Nikki laughed, "Yeah, Josh thinks that he's chasing her now; this is going to be fun! I just hope that she decides to take off while I'm home to see it."
"No matter, it will still be the first time when you do see it."
"Mum, we're planning a birthday party for Gale. I'm going to be away the week of her birthday, so we're going to have it the weekend after I get back, Saturday, March 27th. Do you think that you and Dad will be able to come?"
"Of course! We wouldn't miss it. Where are you planning on having it?"
"Our back garden."
"Lovely, should we get a hotel?"
"Please, we don't really have the room; Josh's parents will be here too. They'll be staying at the Sheraton, I believe."
" We'll plan on that then. I can't wait to see her again. You and Josh too, of course."
Laughing, "of course, Mum."
"What are you planning for food?"
"We haven't talked about it yet. Probably a BBQ."
"Maybe we can come up Thursday night, and I can help you with food on Friday."
"Sure, Mum. That would be great."
"Okay then. I'll let you know when we've made our arrangements."
"Alright, Mum, thank you. Talk to you soon."
"Give Josh our best and a special kiss for our little girl."
"Will do, Mum. Bye."
"Bye."
4 March, 0700
Nikki and Josh had just arrived on the wharf. It felt like she had just gotten home with the short turnaround, and it was time to go out again. They stood to the side of the gangway as the crew was hustling the supplies onboard under Buffer's sharp eye.
Buffer spotted them and made his way over. "Hey Nav, ET, good to see you. And this little one! I can't believe how much she's grown since I last saw her."
"Hey, Buff. How's the crew?" Josh asked.
"Well, we still have most of our old crew, so not much has changed. We're a tight group still."
"That was one of the best things about this boat. Mike as Captain, he was fair, got the job done, but knew how to have fun too." Josh added.
"Captain Flynn is doing well. She has the respect of the crew."
" That's good to hear."
" Just wanted to say hey, best get back to these mongrels. Ma'am," he said, acknowledging Nikki.
"Buff, say 'hey' to everyone for me, will ya?" Josh called out.
"You bet., Now say goodbye to the Missus so she can get on board," he chuckled.
Nikki and Josh embraced and kissed goodbye. "Take care of yourself, Babe. I love you. Keep safe. Josh, are you okay?" Nikki thought that he looked a little uneasy, not his usual upbeat self.
"Yeah, sorry, just being silly."
"See you soon, Luv. I love you," they shared one more kiss before Nikki turned and walked up the gangway.
"Come on, Poppet, let's get home and watch the ship leave." For some reason, Josh was feeling very unsettled.
Hammersley: 8 March, 0700
They had been out a week, and up to this point, everything was very routine with the usual maydays, FFVS and one SIEV. They had to call in Melbourne to take their immigrant passengers so that they could continue with their patrol.
Now they were making way to one of the small islands for a goodwill visit when they received a PanPan call.
"Mayday, Mayday, Mayday, this is MV Calypso," then they gave their position.
RO answered, "Calypso, this Australian Warship Hammersley , what is the nature of your mayday?"
"Warship Hammersley , Calypso, we are dead in the water, engine failure. Also, our luck, our GPS went down too."
"RO, what have ya got?" Kate called out.
"Sounds like a PanPan, Ma'am. Engine failure along with GPS problems."
"Okay, give Nav the coordinates."
"Nav, how long?"
"2 hours, Ma'am."
"Alright, let's go. RO notify them that we are on our way and our ETA."
Nikki gives the course setting to Swain on the helm.
Two hours later, they are approaching the disabled vessel.
" MV Calypso , this is Australian Warship Hammersley. Requesting permission to board."
"This is Calypso ; welcome, thank you."
Kate orders Swain, Buffer, Charge and Nikki to go over. Charge will check their engines while Nikki looks at their GPS and their charts so that she can plot a course for them. Buffer and Swain are backup.
"Oi, are we glad to see you! The motor was ticking along just fine when it suddenly sputtered and died. Then, of course, as if that wasn't enough our GPS appears to have a glitch. I'm Tom, the owner of this vessel, and this is PJ and Mack, my Mates."
"We'll get it all sorted out for you," Buffer tells him. "Where were you headed?"
"Darwin, meeting up with some mates for a spot of fishing," nodding toward the fishing gear at the stern of the boat. "Heard there's good fishing near there."
Charge heads to the engine compartment while Nikki heads into the wheelhouse.
"Hey, Mate," Buffer says, "I love this boat. I hope to get one of my own someday, love the water, ya know, being in the Navy and all. Would you mind if we have a look around?" Buffer asked innocently. The three men glance at each other, then Tom smiles and, with a shrug, says to have at it. As Buffer and Swain move away, Tom motions to PJ to shadow them.
Buffer and Swain head below deck, and Charge pops his head out of the engine compartment. "Looks like a fouled fuel pump. I'll clean it out for you and should be good to go. Shouldn't take more than an hour."
In the wheelhouse, Nikki looks over the GPS and pronounces it dead. "Can you get me your charts?" she asks Tom.
"Sure, one moment," he went under a cupboard and pulled out several charts and brought them over to Nikki, and she got to work plotting a course that they could follow using a compass.
"So, Darwin..."
Getting the GPS coordinates from her hand-held, she begins to work out their route on the chart.
Swain and Buffer move through the galley, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Seeing nothing there, they moved further into the berths; there were two. They found nothing unusual in the first one, but the second had Swain's copper's instincts tickling him.
PJ, skulking behind them, was becoming concerned as they entered the 2nd berth.
"Buff, something just doesn't feel right…" Swain whispers.
"What do you mean?"
"The fishing gear all looks too new, never used, what's the odds that they all have new gear...and it's too tidy for a bunch of guys on a fishing trip. Like they cleaned up before we got here." Swain starts poking around some more and tapping on wall panels.
Now PJ is extremely uncomfortable... ( freak'n nosey sailor boys ).
Continuing his search, Swain notices what appears to be a loose wall panel. Taking his knife, he slips it between the two panels and the panel pops open. " Well, looky here, Buff, check this out," Swain says quietly. Hidden in the wall was a large cache of what looked to be oxy.
"We've got a motherload!" Buffer exclaims quietly.
Swain closes it back up. "We best leave it and let the Captain know."
PJ heard the whole exchange and hurried back up to the wheelhouse. "Tom, a word."
Tom stepped out onto the deck, "What's up?"
"Nosey bastards found it."
"Fuck! Alright, once the motorhead is finished, we take um. Keep the girl lieutenant as a hostage and send them back to their big boat, and we get the hell out of Australian waters. Get Mack and get your weapons. Be ready."
Buffer and Swain replaced the panel and returned to the deck, chatting like they were on a pleasure cruise. Tom and PJ were there outside of the wheelhouse.
"So, did you like what you saw?" Tom asked them.
"It's a beautiful boat." Buffer replied.
"Yeah, she's great; got her for a song, police auction. They took it off some drug runners," he chuckled.
Tom turned and went back into the wheelhouse and quietly removed his handgun from a drawer near the console. PJ and Mack retrieved their weapons as well and tucked them under their shirts.
Charge finished and climbed out of the compartment. "You're all set, should run nice and smooth now."
"Is Nav still in the wheelhouse?" Swain asked.
Tom, who had returned to the deck, replies, "I'll check and see where she's at with the charts," returning presumably to check on Nav's progress."
"How's it going, Ma'am?" Tom asked her.
"Just about done here. I just need to explain things, and then you'll be all set."
Nikki explained what she had done and went over using the compass to navigate with the charts. PJ and Mack had assembled on the deck presumably to see them off. With a nod of his head, Tom signalled that it was time for the takedown and covertly flashed three fingers to indicate a count of three.
Tom returned to the wheelhouse, and as he grabbed Nikki in a chokehold, the other two pulled their weapons, "PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN, PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN AND HANDS UP WHERE WE CAN SEE THEM." they shouted at Buffer, Swain and Charge. Stunned at the sudden turn of events, they quickly complied and placed their guns on the deck.
Tom appeared in the door of the wheelhouse, holding Nikki in a chokehold and a gun to her head. "Behave, gentleman, and nothing will happen to the pretty lieutenant. You just couldn't help but to snoop, and now you've caused us all heaps of trouble."
"Now, this is what's going to happen... You are going to get back in your RHIB and head back to your big boat. The Lieutenant stays here. You tell your captain not to try and follow, or the Lieutenant becomes shark bait. Once we are well out of Australian waters, we'll set her adrift in our life raft with two flares and an EPRIB. Hopefully, you will find her before she dies of exposure."
Nikki is doing her best to remain calm and professional, but she's more scared than she has ever been.
"Now, get your Navy asses in that boat and take off!"
Guns trained on the three, they climbed into the RHIB , sick that they had to leave Nav behind.
As soon as they were in the RHIB, they took off for Hammersley and Buffer called in.
"Charley 8-2, Bravo 8-2"
"Bravo 8-2, Are you heading in?"
"Affirmative, but we've had a problem… They were drug runners... they have Nav... hostage."
" WHAT? Bravo 8-2 say again!" Kate practically yelled.
"We were overtaken, and they kept Nav as a hostage."
"Bravo 8-2, see you when you get here, out."
"Roger that, out."
"I should have seen this," Buffer said, angry with himself. "It's my job to protect the boarding party."
"Buff, everything looked above board until it didn't. Can't blame yourself." Swain told him.
"What the hell is going on?" Charge wants to know completely confused about the whole turn of events.
"Buffer and I found a large cache of oxy below in one of the berths. Evidently, we were seen finding it," Swain explained.
As soon as the RHIB took off, the Calypso sped off in the opposite direction at full throttle.
"Sit down on the floor there!" Tom pointed at Nikki and to a spot on the floor near the wall.
"You're never going to get away with this," Nikki tells him as she sits.
"You are in no position to make such claims, Lieutenant," Toms says snidely. " NOW Sit Down There!" pointing to a spot near the wall. "PJ! Tie her, hands and feet!"
"Hands front or back, Boss?"
"Front is fine for now, as long as she behaves."
Hammersley: 1050
"Buffer," Kate says as he descends from the RHIB. "What happened?"
Buffer began explaining the series of events as they led up to Nav's capture and them being unceremoniously kicked off the boat.
"Boss, they've threatened to kill her if we follow. They said after they are at least 200 miles away, they will release her in their life raft with a flare and EPRIB."
"Alright, get out of your gear and report to the bridge," Kate told them.
As Kate walks onto the bridge, she calls out, "RO, Get me NAVCOM...Commander Flynn, please."
"Spider, all ahead, slow. Dutchy, try to keep them on radar as long as possible."
"Ma'am, Commander Flynn," RO yells out.
" Thanks, RO, my cabin, please."
"Kate, what's going on?" Mike asks.
"We stopped for a PanPan, engine failure, Buffer and Swain found a cache of drugs. They were caught out. Nikki has been taken hostage. Buffer, Swain, and Charge were sent back to us in the RHB."
"Dear God!, How the hell did that happen?"
"Their story was that they were on their way to Darwin to meet up with some mates for some fishing. Apparently, Swain became suspicious, and they got permission to look around then found the drugs. He was seen finding them. As soon as Charge finished with the engine, they had guns drawn on them. The leader had Nikki in a chokehold with a gun to her head."
"Any demands for getting Nikki back?"
" We are not to pursue, or they will kill her. Once they are a safe distance away, 200 miles, they said, they're going to set her adrift in their life raft with a flare and EPIRB. That's it. Buffer said it was a strong warning. Right now, we are running full slow and trying to keep them on radar as long as we can."
"How bad is this, Kate? Do I need to let Josh know yet?" Mike asked, knowing the answer and dreading it.
"Yeah, Mike. He needs to know. He'll be looking for her daily communication."
"You're right, of course. Sometimes I really hate this job. Okay, Kate, keep me informed. I want hourly reports sooner if anything comes up."
"Will do, and, Sir?"
"Kate?"
"The LT Commander loves the Commander."
Mike chuckled, "The Commander loves her too."
Kate returned to the bridge, "RO, try and raise Calypso . I want to try and find out more about their intentions."
"Yes, Ma'am."
" Calypso, this is Australian Warship Hammersley, hailing on frequency 1-6, respond."
RO continued this for over 5 minutes. Then there was finally a response.
"Warship Hammersley. We told you what will happen if you attempt to follow. Heed the warning, Calypso , out."
( Jeez) Kate thinks.
"Dutch, radar?"
"We're going to lose them soon if we don't increase speed, Ma'am."
"Can't risk it," she responded.
"RO, NAVCOM, please."
"Yes, Ma'am." Then… " NAVCOM Ma'am, Commander Flynn."
"Thanks, RO. Mike, they're going to be off radar soon. Would it be possible to track them with a Satellite?"
"I have people working with Fleet Command and the Minister of Defense on that now. We might have to borrow one from the U.S."
"How long, Sir?"
"Soon, I hope. Kate, I've got to go. I'll be in touch soon."
"Yes, Sir."
Mike went to his office and closed the door.
It was 1100 and Josh had just returned from his swim when his phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, he sees that it's NAVCOM, and that's unsettling.
"Hello?"
"Josh, Mike. Umm, Josh, we have a bit of a situation."
Josh's heart rate kicked up to double time. " What's happened, Mike? Is Nikki okay?"
"Josh, Nikki's been taken hostage by drug runners."
" WHAT?! HOW? Why the hell was she on a boarding party?" he growls and afraid at the same time.
"They were responding to a PanPan, engine trouble and a problem with navigation. That's why Nikki was there. Kate had sent Buffer, Swain, Charge, and Nikki for the navigation issue. They were supposed to be fishermen.
While onboard, Swain and Buffer found a large amount of drugs and unfortunately, they were seen finding them. When Charge finished, the crew drew their weapons on them, and the leader had Nikki. They were sent back to Hammersley with the message not to pursue or… or… Nikki would die."
"Dear God, how do we get her back?" rubbing his hand over his eyes.
"They said that once they are 200 miles out, they'll set her adrift in their life raft with a flare and EPRIB.
Josh fell back onto the couch then covered his face with his hands. The tears started (Fuck, I don't believe this). Then with a deep breath, "Mike, I'm coming."
"Josh, you should stay at home. I'll call as soon as I know anything."
Fully angry now, " I'M COMING!" Then he hung up.
When he had come in, he had placed Gale into her playpen as he was planning on taking a shower. He ran upstairs to change while calling Sally, putting the phone on speaker so that he didn't have to stop getting ready.
"Hey, Josh, What's up?" Sally greets him.
He's trying to hold himself in check, but his voice is breaking. "Sally, I need you... Nikki…" and then he lost it for a moment.
"Josh, My God, what's wrong? What's going on?"
Taking a deep breath, he continues, " Nikki is in trouble; she's being held hostage by drug runners."
"No! Dear Lord, you need me to take Gale?"
"Please, if you could."
"Of course, do you need me to come and get her?"
"No, I'm heading to NAVCOM. I'll bring her to you. I'll be there in 15."
"Josh, go straight to NAVCOM; I'll meet you there. Josh, they'll get her back. I'll see you soon."
"Sally, thanks."
Josh threw Gales things in her bag, picked her up and ran out the door.
Sally was waiting in the lobby at NAVCOM when Josh arrived. Holding Gale close, he gives her kisses and hands her to Sally with her bag.
"Sally, thanks for this. I'll see you soon, my little Poppet."
"No worries, Josh," she hugs him. " We're a Navy family. We take care of each other, support each other. You and Nikki, you are our special family."
Not having the patience to wait for the elevator, Josh ran up the two flights of stairs, taking them two at a time. Mike had been watching for him and intercepted him as soon as he came jogging in.
"Josh," Mike said, reaching out and grabbing his arm. "Let's go to my office."
Following Mike into his office, he sat on the couch as Mike indicated that he should take a seat.
"Mike, any news?"
Noticing how red his eyes are, he said with care, "No, nothing yet. We just got approval from the Ministry to use a tracking satellite. Ours isn't in range, but the U.S. has one that is. They've given us access, and they're programming it with the Calypso's last known position."
"Then what? They said that they would kill her if we tried to track them."
"They'll have no way of knowing that they are being tracked by satellite. Once we locate them, we'll come up with an operational plan."
Josh sits forward, elbows on his knees and hands over his face as tears run down his cheeks. Mike placed an arm around his shoulders for a moment, then, "Josh, I need to get back out there. You're welcome to stay here. I'll have some coffee and sandwiches and water brought in."
"Alright, thanks, Mike, but I couldn't possibly eat."
"Well, it'll be here if you change your mind. We could be in for a long one. Where's Gale?"
"I left her with Sally."
"Good," and he left the office to return to the action board. The board shows the position of all of RANS assets in the northern patrol area.
" Lt Smith, get me Newcastle, Kingston and Hammersley. Set up a conference call," looking toward his office, "I'll take it out here."
"Lt Commander McMurry, Newcastle, Sir." Then, " Lt Commander Curry, Kingston." Finally, "Lt Commander Flynn, here, Sir."
"LT Commanders, Mike Flynn here. We have a situation…" Mike goes on explaining what is happening. " I want Newcastle to cover north of their last position, and Kingston , the south. You must stay below the horizon, can't risk them picking you up on radar. Hammersley, continue on your present course, slow. For now, you are all on standby to await further orders. We can't risk provoking them. Now... we will have a satellite operational within the hour. When we find them, I'll give you operational coordinates. The plan right now is to let them think that they are getting away. Hopefully, Lt Holiday is released as promised, and you three will move on them. Any questions?"
"No, Sir," the three said. " Good hunting."
"Thank you, that is all."
Calypso: 1200
It's been almost an hour and a half, and Nikki has been sitting in the same position on the floor, and she is getting sore and uncomfortable. She decides to use the cooperative approach ( if I can stand, maybe I'll be able to get a fix on our direction), she thought.
"Hey, Tom?"
"What is it, LT.?"
"My back is killing me, and my legs are numb. Could I stand for a little bit?"
Thinking for a moment, he grunts, " PJ!"
"Yeah, Boss?" sticking his head into the wheelhouse.
"Take the LT below. Let her use the head and get her some water. Secure her in the small cabin and stay on her." Tom orders.
"Gotcha," then going over to Nikki, he cuts the ropes tying her feet and helps her to stand. "Let's go, LT."
"Thank you," Nikki says humbly to Tom while thinking how much she would like to have him tied up like a hog.
Before she left, Tom stopped them. " LT, earlier I couldn't help but notice that nice piece of jewellery that you have around your wrist. If you want to see Josh again…" nodding toward her wrist, "you won't be trying anything. Take her."
Nikki gave him her best angry stare as she was led from the wheelhouse to the stairs and below deck into the galley. PJ grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and indicated the head. "Keep the door open."
"Perve," she said under her breath. She peed then was placed in the cabin and given the bottle of water.
"Now, don't be stupid and you'll end up just fine. We aren't in the business of hurting people though we will if we need to."
Nikki glared at him as he backed out of the cabin leaving the door open. Nikki stood and paced for a few minutes getting the circulation back before reclining on the bunk. Lying there, she began rubbing her bracelet, thinking of Josh and how much she wanted him by her side. Holding onto her bracelet, she managed to drift off to sleep.
Not hearing anything coming from her cabin, PJ looked in on her, she appeared to be asleep, and he relaxed slightly.
An hour goes by and Mack shows up. "Boss wanted me to spell you for a bit. He wants you in the wheelhouse."
PJ looked at him a moment, then, "Yeah, alright."
Mack got a beer from the fridge, downed it. Once PJ was up the stairs, Mack went over to Nikki's cabin. He was a tall, muscular man with wild black hair, bushy beard and crazy eyes. He sported tattoo sleeves on both arms.
Seeing Nikki sleeping, he stalked in closed and locked the door behind him and then grabbed her while slapping his big meaty hand over her mouth.
"There'll be no scream'n, Lieutenant," drawing out lieutenant. Then he slapped a piece of duct tape across her mouth, obviously coming in with intent.
Nikki started squirming and trying to get away, kicking out, doing anything that she could to fight him off.
"Well, now, this is going to be fun..." He climbed onto the bunk and sat on her legs. "We got to do somethin to pass the time." He unbuckled and dropped his pants to his knees and then went for Nikki's pants, all the while saying disgusting things that he plans on doing to her. She is bucking and squirming and crying. He had managed to yank her pants down and off, then forcing himself between her legs. Smelling his stink, his feted breath, she was gagging.
" You needed me, Boss?" JP asked Tom as he entered the wheelhouse.
"Yeah, take the wheel; I need the head and a beer. How's everything down there?"
"Quiet, she fell asleep."
"Huh, she's gonna need it." Leaving the wheelhouse, he headed down below deck. As he entered the galley he noticed that Nikki's cabin door was closed. He was sure that PJ would have left it open so that he could keep a close eye on her. And... where the hell is Mack?
" What the fuck? " he said to himself, then he could hear muffled screams. Tom rushed to the door, tried it and found it locked. He stood back and kicked in as hard as he could. The door flew open. Rushing into the cabin, he quickly takes in the scene before him seeing Mack on top of her and attempting to rape the LT. "WHAT THE FUCK!" Two rapid steps into the room, and he grabbed Mack by the back of his shirt and pulled him from the bunk, simultaneously punching him in the face and throwing him to the ground.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, PIG!" Another punch to the face and a few kicks to the ribs. "GET THE FUCK UP AND PUT YOUR GODDAMN PANTS ON. GET THE HELL OUT OF MY SIGHT. I SHOULD SEND YOU OVERBOARD! IF YOU COME ANYWHERE NEAR HER AGAIN, I'LL SHOOT YOU IN THE BALLS AND THEN YOUR HEAD. GOT IT?"
Mack crawled away, then managed to get himself up on the deck.
" LT, here," carefully removing the tape from her mouth and then cutting the ropes around her hands. " Did he…?" Nikki shook her head no. "I'll be right back, Fix yourself up," Tom said, then he walked out, leaving her some privacy.
He gave Nikki five minutes then he went back in to check on her. She was lying on her side facing the wall, grasping onto her bracelet with tears running down her face. She didn't move when he returned to the room. He put a fresh bottle of water and a sleeve of crackers on the shelf.
"I'm sorry that happened. You need not worry about that happening again. If he comes anywhere near you again, he's shark bait. Do you need to use the head?"
Nikki rolled over and faced him, her eyes red from crying. " Yes," her voice wavering.
"Come on then."
After using the head, she was returned to the cabin. She sat on the bed expecting to be tied again, but Tom made no move to do so.
"PJ will be stationed outside; he'll make sure that you're safe."
NAVCOM: 1300
Josh had been lying on the couch for almost an hour, his mind wandering and going back to the time that Nikki and Kate were taken hostage by Russian mercenaries trying to hijack Hammersley. Zahn, yeah, that was his name, the leader of the group. Mike had sent him and Spider to keep watch on the door from Austere to the power plant. They took cover behind the air conditioning units when the door opened, and Zahn dragged Nikki out while another one had Kate. Spotting Josh, Zahn opened fire. Josh and Spider couldn't return fire for fear of hitting Nikki or Kate. Nikki was knocked to the floor and tried to reach Josh, calling out to him. He couldn't get to her. He was devastated and angry. Swain had been in Austere when the mercs first attempted control, and he didn't fire at Zahn. Josh felt that he should have. Zahn dragged Nikki away along with Kate.
Later, Zahn moved to the aft steering, taking Nikki with him when he found out that she was the Navigator. Mike realised what was happening and had the idea to have Josh adjust the gyrocompass to a different heading, hoping that Zahn wouldn't notice. Zahn figured it out, called the bridge, told them he knew what they were doing, then fired a shot into the bulkhead. Everyone on the bridge was stunned, silent, thinking he had shot Nikki. Josh just about threw up.
(God, that was a nightmare) he thought.
Getting up from the couch, he started to pace again, fists and jaw clenched. He felt so helpless. He almost lost her to Zahn, and now this.
Mike came in to see him, "Sorry, Josh; we don't have anything yet. The U.S. is positioning the Satellite to try and locate them, no joy yet. We are in continuous contact with them, and they'll let us know as soon as they've got something. I've sent Newcastle and Kingson to the area on standby. It's only a matter of time before we find them." Then he left to return to the situation room.
Josh so wanted to believe him. Sitting back down, he picked up his phone and called Sally to check in on Gale and give her an update that wasn't really an update.
NAVCOM: 1400
Mike rushed into his office, "Josh! We've got them. Looks like they are running to Papua New Guinea. I expect that they should be dropping Nikki soon." (If they are really planning on doing that) thought Mike.
"Do you have a visual?" Josh asked.
"We do. Come on; I'll show you."
Josh went to the large viewing screen with Mike and could see the satellite image of the Calypso steaming at 30 knots. Josh took a seat. He was mesmerised and couldn't stop watching the monitor. Mike went to call Kate and update Newcastle and Kingston .
" LT Smith, get me, Hammersley, " Mike ordered.
" Hammersley , Leading Seaman Dixon"
" RO, Commander Flynn, get me the Captain."
"Ma'am NAVCOM, Commander Flynn."
"Speaker, RO, please."
"Kate! We have a visual from the satellite. Looks like they're heading to Papua New Guinea. Start steaming in that direction. You're far enough that they won't be able to detect you. Newcastle and Kingston will start closing in as well."
"That's good news, Commander, good news. How is Josh holding up?"
"Right now he's glued to the satellite image."
"I bet."
"Fair winds, Kate. I'll keep you informed."
Calypso: 1630
Mack has been staying out of Tom's way, and PJ hasn't left the galley. Tom looked over his charts. With the autopilot set, he went to see PJ.
Calling down the stairs to the galley, "PJ!"
"Yeah, Boss?"
"It's time. We've gone 200 miles. Get the LT ready."
" Will do."
Then Tom went to find Mack, who was nursing his wounds at the back of the boat.
"Hey! Dickhead! Get the raft ready!"
Mack mumbled something in response.
Tom went to the wheelhouse and brought them to a stop. PJ brought Nikki up onto the deck.
"Okay, LT. as promised. We're dropping you here."
Nikki had nothing to say. She was frightened. She didn't want to stay with them, yet the thought of hours in a raft…
"PJ, get her a couple of bottles of water and the EPIRB, and two flares, get her a blanket too."
PJ added the supplies to the raft, which was large enough for six people, and Mack lowered it to the water using the wench.
"Alright, LT, here's your life vest. Good luck."
Nikki climbed down the ladder and got settled in the raft. She took a paddle and moved away from the boat.
Tom returned to the wheelhouse, fired up the engine and moved away slowly so that he didn't catch Nikki in his wash. Once he was far enough from her, he opened it up again and took off.
NAVCOM: 1630
"Commander! Calypso is coming to a stop!"
Mike rushed to the large wall-mounted monitor. Josh, who had been lost in his thoughts, got up and stood next to him. The satellite images were incredible.
"OH MY GOD! NIKKI!" Josh exclaimed as he watched her board the raft and move away from the boat.
" LT Smith! Get their coordinates from the satellite! Then get me on a conference call with Kingston , Newcastle, and Hammersley."
Newcastle:
"Captain! We have an EPIRB!"
"Coordinates?"
"50 miles northeast. Coordinates are coming in now, Sir."
"Sully, How long?"
"50 miles at full speed, 3 hours, Sir."
"Sparky, coordinates?"
"Just got them," handing them to Sully, their navigator, who then gives course directions to the helm."
Before Capt. MacMaster can call into NAVCOM, Mike's conference call comes through.
Kingston and Hammersley both picked up the EPIRB signal at the same time as Newcastle.
Mike's conference call comes in, "Captains, we have a visual from the satellite. Here're the coordinates… LT Holiday has been released, and as it turns out, Hammersley is our closest asset. You all are to steam towards the EPRIB signal. Hammersley, you will recover Nav. Kingston and Newcastle go and catch those Mongrels!"
" Sir," LT Commander Curry asks, "how can we possibly catch them. They have twice the speed on us."
"Directionals indicate that they are heading to Papua New Guinea. They're not too bright. They don't have the fuel for that run without finding somewhere to refuel. We'll stay on them. With luck, they'll either stop or run dry. We've contacted the Papua New Guinea Police. If they make it that far, they'll be taken into custody."
"Kate, we calculate that you are about 1 ½ hours out from the EPIRB. Fair winds and GodSpeed. Go get our girl. Questions anyone? No? Happy hunting."
Hammersley: 1645
Having taught navigation at Watsons Bay, Kate plugged in the EPIRB coordinates and set the course to intercept Nikki.
"Do you hear this? Captain speaking. We have intercepted the locator signal to pick up LT Holiday. We are steaming at top speed and should reach her in about an hour and a half. That is all."
A cheer went up throughout the ship.
"Dutchy, when we are about 45 mins out, I want spotters on all sides. It will be well into dusk by the time we get to her."
"Yes, Ma'am"
NAVCOM: 1645
"Josh, we need to reposition the satellite to keep following the Calypso."
"Okay," taking a last long look at Nikki sitting alone in the life raft. It's been 6 ½ hours since the whole ordeal began, and it's not over yet.
Life raft: 1730
Even though the sun was getting low in the sky, it was still hot. Nikki removed her blouse then put her life vest back on over her white tee shirt. Lying around against the inflated side, she watched the horizon. Well off to the north-west, she could see flashes of lightning. ( Dear God, what else, maybe the storm is running due north…) she thought. ( I wonder how long it's going to take. Did they even pick up the EPIRB?) Checking her watch, it had been almost an hour. She was so tired, but she didn't dare sleep for fear of missing a passing ship.
Her thoughts drifted to Josh and Gale, hoping to see them again soon. She began reliving the special times that they had, trying not to cry.
Hammersley: 1730
"Dutchy, spotters to the deck!" Kate orders.
"Aye, Ma'am." He picks up the ship's intercom, " Do you hear this? XO speaking. All designated spotters assemble on the aft deck at the rush. That is all."
Dutchy leaves the bridge to meet the spotters and give out the assignments.
Buffer, Swain, Sparky, Bomber, and ten other crew members are waiting for him, and he organises them into sectors.
1800
Kate orders their speed cut to slow and then joins the rest of the lookouts with her binoculars. She knows that they should be close.
"Charge, five short blasts of the horn."
"Yes, Ma'am, five blasts."
The ship's horn sounds almost unbearably loud.
Life raft:
Nikki is startled when she hears the first blast and then four more. ( Someone's close!) She starts looking in the direction that she thought that the blasts had come from."There!" she shouts out loud. " A mast!" Grabbing a flare, she sends it off.
Buffer spots the flair. "Ma'am, flare!" he yells out. " Red 45-far!"
"Got it, Buff!"
"Charge, five short blasts!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Hang on, Nikki, we're coming," Kate says softly.
Nikki, hearing the second round of blasts, knows that her flare has been seen and cries tears of relief.
1815:
"Ma'am! Got a visual! Red 30-near!" Dutchy calls out.
Picking up her binoculars and looking in the direction that Dutch indicated, she sees Nikki anxiously watching out over the water.
"Alright!" picking up the intercom even before being ordered to Dutchy calls out... Prepare for recovery by seaboat! Buffer, Swain, Charge go get her!"
"RO, call NAVCOM. Tell Commander Flynn that we've found her, and the RHIB is being launched."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
The crew is ecstatic. One of their own has been returned to them.
Life raft:
Nikki finally spotted the warship but couldn't tell who it is that's coming for her. Then she sees the RHIB rushing towards her filling her with such relief. As the RHIB gets closer, she can see Buffer in the front with Swain and Charge behind him. Halfy slows and eases them alongside the raft.
"Ma'am!" Buffer calls out. "It's so good to see you!"
"Back atcha Buff. I can't believe you guys are here."
"Give me your hand," Buffer reaches for her and gives a slight pull to help her into the RHIB. She's stiff from sitting for so long, and as soon as Buffer has her in the boat, she stumbles, grabs onto him, and begins to cry, tears of relief. Buffer holds her, whispering, "you're okay; it's over. We've got you now, and we're going to get you home."
The raft was secured to the RHIB and towed back to Hammersley. In the time it took to get back, Nikki had composed herself and exited the RHIB with the dignity of an officer. Kate and Dutchy were there to greet her.
Nikki saluted Kate; then, Kate immediately pulled her in for a hug.
NAVCOM: 1815
"Commander, Hammersley! " LT Smith called out.
Mike went over to him and picked up the handset.
"Commander Flynn."
"Commander, RO here, The Captain said to inform you that we have a visual on LT Holiday, and we're launching a RHIB now."
"That's Fantastic news! Have Capt. Flynn call when she can."
"Will do, Sir."
Mike rushed to his office, practically bursting in. After they took the satellite off of Nikki,
Josh had retreated to the office and was lying on the couch with his arm thrown over his eyes.
"Josh! They've got her! The RHIB is picking her up now!"
Josh sat up quickly, "Really? Really?"
"Really, Josh, it's over. We're going to get her home."
Josh sat forward, head in hands and cried, waves of relief coursing through him. "Thank you, Mike," his voice hitching.
Mike sat next to him and placed his arm around his shoulders. "It's over; it's over."
"I'm sorry that I've been such a basket case. It's just… I can't bear to lose her."
"Josh, I would be the same way if it were Kate. Don't be sorry."
Hammersley: 1830
"Nikki, go below, call Josh; he's been worried sick. Then get yourself sorted out, something to eat, and meet me in the senior's mess and we'll talk and debrief if you're up to it, or we can put it off until tomorrow."
"No, I want to get it done, but can we use the conference room. I...ahh...don't want some parts overheard."
Kate raised an eyebrow and looked concerned. "Okay, conference room in 30. Oh, Mike is recalling us. We'll be home the day after tomorrow, 1500."
Smiling, "That's good to know."
1845:
Nikki went to Kate's cabin to use the SAT phone. She closed the door, sat in Kate's chair and dialled Josh's phone.
After Mike left, Josh laid back down, taking deep breaths, finally calming down, knowing that Nikki is safe, and he started to drift off when his phone rang, startling him. He grabs it and looks at the caller id, and sees that it's a SAT phone.
"Nikki?"
"Josh."
They both started to cry.
"Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"I'm okay, tired, dirty, and hungry."
"Oh, Baby, I wish I were there with you. I'd be holding you so tight. Navy regs be damned."
"I would let you," she said with a bit of a chuckle. How's Gale? Is she with you?"
"She's fine. She's with Sally."
"Kate said Mike is recalling us. We'll be home the day after tomorrow, 1500 if all goes well."
"God, that's great news. Be prepared to be smothered. I'm not going to let you out of my sight!"
"I'm going to hold you to that. Tonight I'll be snuggling with Joshua Bear."
"Lucky bear. Nikki, I love you so much. The thought of losing you…" he choked up again.
"I love you too. I just held onto my bracelet thinking of you. It helped to keep you close. Thank you."
"Me too. Go, get cleaned up, fed and watered and some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay, I will. Tomorrow then."
"I love you, Nikki."
"I love you, Josh."
They disconnected.
Nikki left Kate's cabin for her own. Sitting on her rack, she picked up "Joshua Bear" and hugged his soft squishy body to her, then buried her face in his fur as the tears made their way again.
After a bit, she went into the shower, then changed into fresh DPNU and left for the galley.
"Nav!" Bomber exclaimed. "I'm so happy that you're alright. We've all been worried sick about you."
"Thanks, Bomber."
"Boss asked me to have a tray ready for you. I gave you beef barley soup and a ham sandwich and a piece of chocolate cake."
"That sounds wonderful, Bomber."
"Would you like hot or cold to drink?"
"Both, please, coffee and diet coke."
"You got it," adding her drinks to her tray."
"Thanks, Bomber," and she made her way to the conference room.
NAVCOM: 1900
After talking to Nikki, Josh called Sally.
"Hello, Josh?"
"Hey Sally, I just got off the phone with Nikki. We've got her back!"
Sally interrupted, "Is she okay? Did they hurt her?"
"She says she's fine. Mike has recalled Hammersley, and they should be home the day after tomorrow."
"So good!"
"Sal, I'm going to head over to pick up Gale."
"Josh, she can stay the night. Go home and get some rest yourself."
"I appreciate that, Sal, I really do, but I really need to be with her."
"I understand. I'll have her ready for you."
"Thank you, see ya soon."
He walked out of the office in search of Mike. He found him watching the satellite images on the large wall-mounted monitor. The satellite was tracking Calypso who appeared to be heading for Papua New Guinea.
"Mike," Josh said, going over to him. "Thanks for everything and for putting up with my sorry ass. There was no way I could have waited this out at home."
"No worries, Mate. We got her back; that's what matters. Now we need to deal with these mongrels," indicating the boat on the screen. "Nikki probably told you, but they are heading in and should be here the day after tomorrow."
"Yeah, she told me. Gonna be a long-ass couple of days."
"Well, at least you know that she's safe. Josh, she's going to have 30 days of medical leave, which is to provide her with time to recover from the incident and for the required counselling."
"That sounds good, Mike."
"Are you heading for the Blake's now?"
"Yeah, I am. I miss my little girl."
"I bet. I'll let you know if there are any changes to the schedule."
"Okay, thanks."
Hammersley: 1920
Kate was getting caught up on her reports while she waited when Nikki walked in with a tray and sat down across from her.
"You talked to Josh?"
"I did, thank you."
"No worries, Nikki. We really don't need to do this right now."
"Kate, I just want to be done with it."
"Alright, I'm going to record your statement so that I get the report right. No one but me will ever hear that recording."
"Okay."
"Start with the boarding and take me through everything."
Nikki went through all of the events as she remembered them, and then she came to the assault. She stopped, unable to continue for a moment as the attack became vivid in her mind.
"Nikki? Are you okay?"
Taking a deep breath then sighing, she continued, " I guess I will be. I was almost raped."
" WHAT?"
" The leader... called himself Tom, stopped it just in time, before anything happened."
"Just give me the basics for the report. Then if you want to talk, you know I'm here for you."
Nikki went on to tell of the assault then continued with the rest of the events, right up until she was picked up."
"I guess that's it, Nikki. Welcome back. You'll be with Josh soon." ( Not soon enough) Nikki thought. Kate drew her into a hug. "Really, Nikki, if you need to talk… you know where to find me. I'll take your tray. Go and get some sleep. You are relieved of all duty watches. This is a pleasure cruise for you now."
"Thanks, Kate," then left for her cabin.
She took another shower. She was having a difficult time feeling clean. She kept feeling that creep all over her. Getting out of the shower, she put on her nightclothes and crawled into her rack. Holding onto "Joshua Bear", she laid back and looked at Josh and Gale's picture on her wall. Eventually, exhaustion won out, and she fell asleep.
Cairns: 1930
Josh and Gale arrived home. Not ready to be parted from her, he went and sat with her in his chair on the balcony. He held her close, kissed her curls, then let her sit on his lap and play with the buttons on his shirt. A half an hour later, " Well, Poppet, I guess we both should get to bed.
He got her nighttime bottle, went upstairs, got her changed and then sat and rocked her, singing softly while she finished her bottle and then fell asleep. After he laid her carefully in her cot, he went to his room to take a shower and get into bed.
Lying in bed, he could do nothing but think of Nikki. ( It's going to be an impossibly long two days). After an hour of not being able to shut his head off, he got up and went down to the kitchen, poured two fingers of whiskey in a glass and returned to his bedroom balcony. He sat there looking at the full moon over the harbour and sipping the whiskey, thinking about her.
Finishing his drink, he crawled into bed once again and, being more relaxed, was able to sleep.
2 Days Later March 10th: 1500
Josh watched as Hammersley entered the harbour. He trained his binoculars on the bow of the ship and... yes! There was Nikki! Knowing that he would be looking for her, she went and stood at the front of the ship as they came into the harbour. Josh watched the ship until it was time to leave for the wharf. He picked up Gale, who had been playing next to him, brought her to her room and changed her into one of Nikki's favourite outfits. He dressed her in the pretty blue dress with tiny flowers that matched her eyes, and he had added a clip with a little blue bow in her curly chestnut hair. Then they headed for the base.
They arrived on the wharf just as Hammersley was sliding into her berth. He waited impatiently while the close-up crew finished and then put out the gangway.
Mike had arrived with his second in command, LT Commander Jules Barry; Kate would be joining them, as would Dutchy as XO. Josh holding Gale, and Sally stood next to Mike.
Kate and Dutchy came down the gangway and joined the reception line as the crew, in their whites, formed a gauntlet. Nikki stepped into the aisle formed by the crew. They all saluted as she walked through with the Petty Officers being closest to the gangway. Once she passed, they all clapped.
Josh watched, and as if he hadn't cried enough the last few days, the tears started again as he saw her honoured by her crewmates and her commanding officers.
Reaching the bottom of the gangway, she stopped and saluted. After saluting, they welcomed her home with handshakes and polite hugs. Josh stood waiting, then he turned and handed Gale to Sally.
Seeing Josh, Nikki stopped for one second then threw herself at him. They kissed, not caring who was about. With tears, he released her. Sally was standing nearby holding Gale. She walked up to Nikki and handed her daughter to her. As Nikki reached for her, Gale became very excited, saying " Mum- Mum, Mum- Mum," with a huge baby smile and reaching for her. Nikki took her with tears running down her cheeks; she hugged her close, kissing her curls. "I love you so much, so much, my little one."
Josh was standing near them and pulled Nikki close. Buffer, Charge and Swain stopped to see Josh giving him a supportive pat on the back.
"Let's go home, Babe." All Nikki could do was nod her head.
That morning, before leaving for the wharf, Josh had filled the house with frangipani bouquets, even placing one in the bath near the Jacuzzi tub. He also has set out several large candles around the bath.
Arriving home, Josh guided her inside, and as soon as she ascended the stairs, she was hit with the beautiful fragrance from the frangipani. Reaching the living room, she was overwhelmed. There were frangipani bouquets everywhere. She cried again.
"Oh, Baby, I didn't mean to make you cry."
"They're just so beautiful, Josh. It's the first flower that you ever gave me. I love them. Thank you, my sweet man," kissing him.
Josh led her to the couch where they sat and just snuggled, relishing being together.
Then she started to shake and sob.
"Baby, Baby, shhh… you're home, it's over," holding her tight and caressing her back.
Her breath hitching, "Josh, I need you…I need to feel you close; make love to me, please."
Kissing her head, he gets up from the couch. "I'll be right back." Nikki sniffs and nods.
He goes into the kitchen, makes a bottle for Gale and pours a glass of wine for Nikki then returns to her. Handing her the wine, "Sip your wine, I'll get Poppet settled and be right back," dropping a kiss on her cheek. Scooping up Gale, he went upstairs.
He quickly changed her, got her out of her dress, settled her in her cot, handing her a bottle, and then added a few of her favourite toys.
"Poppet, I need you to be good. Mum-Mum needs some attention. I love you, little one."
Leaving her room, he went into their bathroom and filled the large jacuzzi tub with warm water and fragrant bath salts. Then he added several frangipani blossoms floating on top of the water. Lastly, he lit all of the candles and then went to get Nikki.
When Josh returned, he found her a bit calmer as she sipped her wine. Taking the glass from her, he placed it on the side table, then taking both of her hands, he pulled her to standing then scoops her up and carries her upstairs and into their bath. Setting her down, he gently undresses her and helps her into the tub. Then joining her, he brought her close to him.
Leaning in to kiss him, "Josh, this is perfect. Thank you," as she nestled into him in the comforting warm water.
Later as they were lying cradled together, Nikki tracing small circles on his chest while he caressed her arm, Josh asked, " Do you want to talk about it?"
"Yes and No. But I need to. I need you to know. Josh, I've never been so scared." She went on to tell him all that had happened. He listened quietly, placing occasional kisses on her head. When she got to the attempted rape, she felt Josh stiffen.
"Josh, it was so horrible. That pig of a man touching me, on top of me. I can still feel him. Makes me feel so dirty. What if he had… how could I face you…"
Josh was near rage thinking of that pig of a man touching Nikki, he felt murderous, but he would never let Nikki see it.
"Nikki, Luv, don't EVER think like that. What happened to you was a violent assault. Not your fault. I love you. I will always love you. You are my everything, and you always will be."
"I needed to feel you close, be with you. I need to erase the feel of him."
"It'll pass Nikki. I'm here with whatever you need. You'll be seeing Dr Holmes. Please be open with her. Let her help you sort it all out."
"I promise."
Then they both lay quietly together and fell asleep with Nikki cradled in his arms. As luck would have it, Gale had fallen asleep too and slept through the night.