Ch82
Kate, Swain, Spider, and Buffer jumped out of the boat.
"What is it, Buffer?" Kate asked as Buffer stopped.
"Footprints, X. Leading that way," he pointed
"X ray eight two, this is Charlie eight two."
"Charlie eight two, go ahead X."
"Sir, Buffer found footprints. We are going to follow them."
"Copy that, X." They followed Buffer for twenty minutes until they found Lisa Homes on the ground.
"X ray eight two, this is Charlie eight two. Sir, we've found Dr. Homes. Copy over"
"We must be in a dead spot X," Buffer said when there was no answer.
"Go up the hill, buffer and see if you can contact them. You might have to pass messages back and forth."
"Sure, X," he said before he ran towards the hill.
"How is she?" She asked Swain.
"Alive. Her pulse is strong," he checked for a sign of what could've happened to her but found nothing. "There's anything wrong visible, X. Only this puncture on her arm." He looked at Kate and then the woman on the ground took a deep breath as she open her eyes. "Ma'am? Can you hear me?"
"Yes," Lisa answered looking around.
"Doctor homes, I'm Lieutenant McGregor on HMAS Hammersley. We were sent for help," Lisa sat up slowly and sighed.
"I received a letter a few weeks ago. In it, someone warned me about not drinking the water of the island. Also, it mentioned an antitoxin that I should bring."
"Antitoxin for what?"
"Crab toxin. I was working on an antidote when I found out someone stole the toxin I was working with from the lab. I just finished the antitoxin when I received the letter. It was a warning, someone wants to kill me and using the toxin was the best way to make it accidental."
"Do you know who it is?"
"Yes, I think so. But there's more, the toxin I'm talking about doesn't have any color or taste."
"And can easily become a bioweapon?" Kate asked
"In terrorist hands, yes. The amount that was stolen can be used for over fifteen thousand liters of water. It only takes twenty milliliters of it to kill a person."
"The puncture in your arm, is that the toxin or the antidote?" Swain asked.
"Antidote, I injected myself with the antidote before calling for help. I wasn't sure it would work."
"Then, we better get you out of here," Kate said
"I need to take a bag. It's hidden. I notice different foot prints not far from here but thought nothing of it when I drank some bottle water when I return"
"How long before you notice it on your system?"
"An hour hours."
"Ok, let's go."
"X. Its Buffer copy over."
"Go ahead, Buffer."
"The boss wants a sit rep. Copy"
"Tell him we are on our way back to the beach with Dr. Homes, copy over."
Swain helped Dr. Homes to stand up, and they followed her as she retrieved her bag.
"I noticed something odd earlier, and I was planning on checking it out tomorrow," Lisa explained as she walk to where she going to show them what she found.
"X, want me to stay where I am or should I return to the boat?" Buffer said
"Go to the beach; we will be there asap. Copy over," Kate said before Doctor Homes stopped and pointed to a tree.
"What the?" Kate frowned. The mark was noticeable, and they neared it.
"It's not very old."
"X!" Swain called moving branches away. He took his torch out and walked forward. "I'll check it out." When Lisa and Kate walk over to where Swain is.
"Ok," Kate agreed while Swain walked slowly with his gun in hand.
"X! Dr. Homes!" Swain called from the inside. "I think you want to look at this!"
"Oh my god! There are enough bottles here to kill everyone in Australia!" Lisa said with a horrified expression.
"Are you sure this is the toxin water?" Swain asked
"Yes" she open her bag and pulled out a bottle to show them. "This is the bottle I drank from before the sytems started" They look that the bottle in Lisa hand then what in front of them. It was the same bottle water
"Ok. Let's head back to the boat and let the captain know about this before we take any action." They walk back out and covered the entrance with the branches.
"Sir," Kate said as soon as protocol allowed her. "I need RO and a camera on the beach. We found thousands of bottles of toxic water, sir. According to with Dr. Homes, there are enough to kill everyone in Australia."
"Copy that, X! RO will be waiting for you on the beach." When the trio reached the beach, a dingy with RO pulled close to the boat.
"Buffer, RO. You are with me. Swain take Dr. Homes to the Hammersley."
"Yes, ma'am," Swain said. Buffer and RO followed Kate back to where the bottles were.
"RO, record everything. Labels included"
"Yes, ma'am." Buffer and Kate looked around
"This looks like an old bunker of some kind, X." Buffer commented.
"It is. This was built at the beginning of world war two as part of an underground network of hidden bunkers created on some islands."
"Any ideas how many bunkers were built on this island, X?" RO asked
"I don't know," she sighed before she contacted the Hammersley. "Sir, can you contact NAVCOM and find out how many WWII bunkers were built on this island? Information of bunkers on a hundred-mile radius would be useful too." Mike thought about it
"X, are you thinking that there might be more of these bottles?"
"
Yes, sir. And those old bunkers are the perfect place to keep them cool and out of sight."
"I'll make the call, ETA?"
"I'm done, X," RO said
"We are on our way back to the beach, sir. Ask Nav to track any boats in the area."
"Copy That X, X ray eight two out."
"Let's go," Kate said.
"X," Mike grinned when he saw her entering the bridge an hour later.
"Sir."
"I spoke to Steve, he's going to get the information you asked and will have it by the time we get back to port."
"Great. Nav, is there anything on the radar?"
"Yes. Three fishing boats, one touring boat and a barge."
"What's the name of the barge?"
"Pacific marine."
"X? What are you thinking?" Mike asked her, knowing too well what her expressions meant.
"Don't you think it's strange that a barge is all the way out here miles away from any civilization form?"
"It could come from an island."
"Sir, the water bottles we found could fill a quarter of any barge."
"What about a boat?" Nav asked
"A touring boat could take half of it."
"Then we better hurry back to port and bring Steve up to speed when we meet him."
"Thanks, sir." Kate grinned. Nav looked at them shaking her head and returned to work.
Less than two hours later, they were reaching the previously discarded FFV. Noticing something strange, Kate picked her binoculars
"Sir! There's smoke twenty degrees starboard," Mike and Nav repeated her action and noticed the smoke coming from the FFV.
"X hands..." Mike didn't get a chance to finish before she grabbed the microphone
"Hands to boarding stations, hands to boarding stations, hands to boarding stations for sea rescue, medical team on the deck for retrieval of wounded." Mike shook his head.
"You didn't give me a chance to finish," he pointed making Kate smile
"Spider one eight zero, revolution one five zero," Kate said as an answer
"Turning one eight zero, revolution one five zero."
On the FFV, ET, and Jaffa managed to calm the five men. Their kitchen had caught on fire, so they've tried to put it out but it spread fast so they all moved up onto to the deck.
"Here, put these on," ET said, shuffling life vests to them. ET and Jaffa showed them how to use them, and then, one of the men pointed towards the sea.
"It must be the Hammersley," Jaffa grinned.
"I hope so," ET said.
"Well, as long as it isn't the Kingston, I'm good." ET laughed. "Really, we wouldn't hear the end of it."
It wasn't too much later when a bang was heard, and Et turned to the crew.
"Jump to the water; this is going to blow."
They all jumped into the sea and swam away from the boat. They had a chance to get to a safe distance before it exploded. Jaffa instructed the men to keep moving further away and once they considered it was a good distance they all activated their life vest.
They were floating calmly on the sea, on one side, the boat was slowly sinking on the other side the Hammersley dingy was heading towards them.
"You guys took your sweet time," ET said laughing when they reached them.
"Very funny, ET." Buffer said. Once all the men were on the dingy, they headed back to the Hammersley.
"How did it go on Bright island? Did you guys manage to find the woman?"
"Yeah and much more."
"Like an island full of women, mate?" Jaffa asked laughing.
"Only in your dreams, mate. But no."
"What was it?" ET asked noticing Buffer's expression.
"We found bottles of toxic water. Enough to kill everyone in Australia."
"You must be joking," Jaffa said bewildered.
"I'm dead serious, mate." ET and Jaffa looked at each other knowing that Buffer wasn't joking.
They reached the Hammersley, and after a check from Swain, ET went to find Mike.
"Sir? Buffer mentioned the toxic water. Is that verified?"
"Yes."
"Wow," then he smiled.
"ET, this is not a laughing matter."
"Sorry, sir. I was just wishfully thinking that if we get the ones behind this, we will beat the Kingston." Mike shook his head.
"Go and get changed, ET!" Mike chuckled.
"But I am right, sir." ET grinned before he walked away to find Nikki and reassure her that he was alright.
They were reaching port when the sat phone went off, Mike took it and frowned.
"X," he said turning to Kate, "you have the bridge."
"Sir? We are almost in port."
"I know, X. Steve wants me to talk to Doctor Homes, she won't be walking off here."
"What? Then how?"
"In a body bag. Someone's idea in case whoever is behind the toxin are watching the wharf. There's hope for someone to go to the morgue to identify her."
"I understand." As Mike walked out of the bridge, Kate started to give orders to reach port safely.
"Doctor Homes," Mike said when he reached the dining room.
"Yes"
"I've spoken to Commander Marshall. He mentioned an ongoing investigation and the feds that are working on it asked that you don't walk off the Hammersley." Mike stated, and she frowned.
"Are you saying?"
"Yes, you'll be leaving the Hammersley in a body bag." She blanched.
"You must be joking."
"I'm not. You will be sedated to low your breathing, the agents behind the investigation believe the people behind this might be watching the wharf. If they see you walking down, they might try to kill you."
"I don't know what to say."
"It's your choice, ma'am. Plus... you would have to look dead in case someone comes to identify you. The feds also want to place you into witness protection program until they catch the ones behind this."
"What would you do if you were in my shoes?"
"I'll go with their plans. If you like, Lieutenant McGregor can be at the hospital with you and the feds."
"What about your crew, I mean?"
"I'll be talking to them"
"Then, I'll do what you ask."