Ch 92
Soon, it was the morning of the start of the Hammersley last patrol. Mike and James were talking on the wharf. Nav and Kate were looking down from the lookout, Kate looked at her watch and returned to the bridge.
"Lieutenant Commander Flynn," She said picking the mic. "We are sailing in one minute. Unless you want toothbrush duties I suggest you get on board the Hammersley now... sir," she added belatedly. Mike and James looked towards the bridge and saw her tap her watch.
"I'll better go," Mike said chuckling.
"See you in two weeks, Mike!"
"You too, James." Mike rushed into the Hammersley and soon they were leaving port for their final time.
"X," he said once he got to the bridge.
"Sir," She grinned. "What's the latest on the Kingston the Hammersley bet?"
All the eyes on the bridge turned eagerly towards Mike, and he grinned. And walking towards the mic, he pressed the button.
"This is the Captain speaking."
"No kidding," Kate mumbled making Nav and Buffer laugh. And they heard the laughter coming from around the ship since Mike hadn't turned off the mic yet.
"Update on our bet with the Kingston. We are ahead by one with FFV, three maydays, two drugs busts and two behind with the ice boat. The Kingston's leaving tomorrow for their two-week patrol and they will be back in time for the decommissioning of this old boat. That's all." Mike lowered the mic and turned towards Kate. "Happy now, X?"
"For now, sir," she grinned back. Mike shook his head before walking out.
"You are playing dangerously there," Buffer said
"I know. What are your plans for the decommissioning of the Hammersley?"
"I'm going to visit my mum," Buffer said
"I'm going to Adelaide, I haven't seen the family in a while," Nav said
"What about you, X?" Buffer asked
"Spending it with my family while I try to find out where the Navy's going to post me."
"What? You're not staying?" Nav asked in shock
"I don't know, Nav. My post was until the decommissioning of the Hammersley. I don't know where they are going to put me afterward."
"I hope you stay, X," Buffer said
"Thanks, Buffer. I would love to stay, but it's not up to me." She shrugged.
Over the next few days, the Hammersley was busy with FFV and maydays until their sat phone went crazy.
"Hammersley. Lieutenant Commander Flynn is speaking," Mike said taking the call.
"Mike! It's Steve. You need to get to Bright island asap. Agent Murphy has activated his emergency beacon."
"He would only do that if he's in trouble. That can only mean that Rick Gallagher is finally making his move."
"We don't know, Mike."
"What about coast watch?"
"They are sending a plane in an hour."
"Ok, Steve. Can you contact the feds and find out if Dr. Homes has managed to prepare more antidote of that crab poison? If the answer is yes, just send some with that plane."
"Excellent idea, Mike. Keep me posted. Fair winds." Mike hung up
"Nav? How far are we from Bright island?"
"Four hours top speed."
"Then, let's do it top speed." Nav frowned. "It looks like Gallagher is making his move. Oh, and keep an eye searching for the Pacific Mariner, Nav."
"Yes, sir!" she said as they changed course.
Over the next four hours, everyone was alerted. When they got close to Bright island, Nav picked up the Pacific mariner on the radar.
"Sir. The Pacific mariner is at Creek island," she informed Mike. He turned to Kate only to see her grabbing the mic.
"Hands to boarding station, hands to boarding station, hands to boarding the station." Before she lowered the mic. "Nav, you have the bridge," she said before she ran out of the bridge.
"Nav has the bridge!" Mike yelled before he too rushed off the bridge to gear up himself. Both tinny and HRIB left the Hammersley and headed to Bright island. Soon they were splitting up into groups. Kate and Buffer went to the old bunker. Swain and ET and Mike and Spider took one side of the island each.
"Sir, it's X. Bottles are gone, copy over," Kate said when they reached the bunker.
"Copy that! Keep a lookout for Agent Murphy!" Mike answered back. Kate and Buffer looked around the bunker when Buffer tripped with a foot.
"X!" he called following the foot to Agent Murphy's face.
"Agent Murphy!" Kate said kneeling beside him. "Have you been poisoned? Blink once for no, twice for yes." Kate said. Buffer took informing Mike as his tasks. Murphy blinked twice.
"Is it the crab poison?" Again he blinked twice
"Charge eight two, this is X ray eight two."
"This is Charge eight two. Go ahead, X."
"Contact coast watch and tell them we need the antidote ASAP. Agent Murphy has been poisoned. Copy over," Kate waited for the answer before she added. "Ask them to drop the package close to our HRIB. Copy over"
"Agent Murphy, are there any other agents on this island?" Kate asked, and she saw him blink twice.
"How many?" He blinked once.
"Sir, keep the lookout. There is another agent on this island."
"Copy that, X. What about Creek island?"
"Are there any agents on Creek island?" she asked Murphy, and he blinked twice. "How many? Sir, there are two agents on Creek Island."
"Sir, this is Swain. We found the other agent, has a broken leg. We are going to take him to the HRIB."
"Copy that, Swain. Nav? What is the ETA on the antidote?"
"Five minutes, sir."
"How is he?" Mike asked joining Kate and Buffer on the bunker.
"Paralyzed. He can move his eyelids, but we don't know how much of the poison he had"
"Alright, now we wait for Swain."
Kate noticed that the Agent was looking at his arm as if trying to tell her something. She frowned and followed his eyes, so she picked his arm up and pulled his sleeve back.
"X? What are you doing?" Mike asked
"He's been looking at his arm. I think he's trying to tell me something." She frowned and then, she spotted it. "Sir! There's a mark here; I think he was injected with the poison. Is that right Agent Murphy?" He blinked twice.
"Was it Rick Gallagher?" Mike asked, and Murphy answered yes.
"Was he alone?" He blinked no. "How many men did you see?" Slowly, Agent Murphy blinked seven times. Knowing that they most likely weren't alone, Mike and Buffer went outside to take the watch; soon they saw ET and Swain running towards them.
"We have the antidote!" Swain said showing a medical box, before walking past them and into the bunker.
Swain dropped the backpack and opened the box. Inside there were six syringes filled with the antidote and a note. He read it before picking up a syringe. He pulled the agent's arm searching for a vein. Once he was ready, he slowly injected the antidote. Afterward, he threw the syringe into the disposal and packed everything.
"Ready?" Buffer asked after he and ET set the stretcher. Swain nodded.
"Let's get him on the stretcher."
Mike and Swain lifted the agent onto the stretcher and then, Buffer, and ET lifted the stretcher. And with everything picked up, they headed towards the beach. Twenty minutes later, they were boarding the Hammersley.
"Nav? Where's Pacific Mariner?" Mike asked once he entered the bridge.
"Heading north east towards international waters."
"How long until they get there?"
"Four hours," Nav answered.
"Then lets head to Creek Island."
"Sir? Commander Marshal called, two agents called back when they couldn't get a hold of Agents Murphy and Price. They will be waiting on the beach for us to pick them up."
"Thanks, Nav."
Later, the Tinny left the Hammersley and headed to the beach to pick the agents and return them to the Hammersley. With the agents on board, they headed to international waters.
While they were on their way, Mike went to see how Agent Murphy was doing. He entered the dining/wardroom and saw the agent sitting up while Swain was taking his blood pressure.
"How are you feeling?" Mike asked
"Better. What's happening?"
"We picked the agents from Creek island. Now, we are on our way to stop the Pacific Mariner before they reach international waters."
"Oh, well, thank you for keeping me up to date."
"No worries. I need to return to the bridge," Mike walked out of the room and headed back to the bridge.
They reached the Pacific Mariner soon enough, ET and Chefo were manning the guns, while two teams left the Hammersley head to board the ship. Mike and the three agents watched from the lookout above the bridge. They heard gun fires, and then the radio crackled.
"Sir! We are under fire!"
"Copy that, X! ET, Chefo take them out!" Gunfire sounds left the
Hammersley, and they could see two men go down after being shot.
"Sir!" Nav yelled. "They are five hundred meters from international waters!"
"ET! Take out their engines!" Mike yelled out, and soon flames were taking over the back of the boat.
"Sir! The bridge!" Nav yelled out. Mike's eyes widened when a man with a bazooka appeared on top of the bridge.
"ET fire!"
Luckily, ET shot the man before he could shoot. However, when he fell he pressed the trigger, and the shot missed the Hammersley just by a few meters. Then, the two teams got on board the Pacific Mariner taking down the last of the men, including Rick Gallagher.
"Sir, we got a problem," Nav said, Mike rushed down to the bridge.
"What's the problem, Nav?"
"The currents are taking them to international waters. They are a hundred meters away."
"Get ET in here now!" Nav picked the mic
"ET to bridge rush, ET to the bridge rush."
"Charlie eight two, this is x ray eight two. X! You are getting close to international waters. Get ready the ropes for towing."
"Copy that, sir," Kate answered as ET ran onto the bridge
"ET! Get close to the barge a quick as you can."
"Yes, sir!" He walked over to steer the ship.
Nav gave him course directions, and they got close. The crew gave the ropes to the HRIB driver and took it to the end of the barge. They hooked the ropes and signaled the Hammersley, and they waited for a few seconds. The Hammersley turned away slowly taking the barge with it.
Minutes later, Rick Gallagher and his men were taken aboard the Hammersley, and they set their way back to Cairns.
"Sir," Kate said smiling.
"X," he grinned back at her.
"You know, sir? This is a good way to end this tour and the last patrol on old the Hammersley," Mike smiled.
"I agree, X. It's a good way to end this old girl life. She's been through a lot over the past few years and always came out on top."
"That's true."
"And the Kingston crew will not be happy," Nav said smiling.
"So true, Nav." Swain agreed.
"Well, at least the Hammersley's going out with a bang and not like the Kingston. They had to tow it back two days before they were due back."
"Hammersley, Lieutenant Commander Flynn speaking," Mike said answering the sat call that entered.
"Mike, it's Steve. There's a message from the chief of the Navy, to you and your crew. The message is congratulation on stopping a possible terrorist attack, a job well done," Mike grinned
"Thank you, Steve; I'll let the crew know. We will be in port at zero eight hundred in the morning."
"Copy that, Mike. How are the agents?"
"They are ok. Agent Price got a broken leg, and Agent Murphy's going to make a full recovery thanks to Dr. Homes."
"Those are good news. See you when you return, fair winds."
Mike lowered the sat phone and took the mic.
"This is the Captain speaking; there's a message from the Chief of the Navy: Congratulation on stopping a possible terrorist attack, a job well done. That is all."
The next morning, when they were close to the port, a tugboat with feds and police on board took over towing the Pacific Mariner. The crew noticed there were people and media everywhere on the wharf and noticed that the Kingston was also in port. All the crew was on the wharf watching the Hammersley coming in.
When the Hammersley was close to the port, everyone cheered. Once they docked, the two agents walked off the boat, and two others were carried off by the crew and straight towards the waiting ambulances. Swain handed the details to the paramedics before returning to the old boat.