CH 105
Later that night, Kate was in Mike cabin listening to Mike and Steve talk.
"I received a lot of faxes from your RO. Care to tell me why are you interested in those men?" Steve said
"They are all working for Ray Walsmen. Kate took those photos, and RO identified them, five are members of the same insurgent group that attacked the aid workers on Samaru Island a few weeks back. And there are Russian special ops identified among them, all have been dishonored discharged for selling weapons in the black market, and now they are all working for the same man. That an hour ago was pointed as the owner of a boat filled with hundreds of poisonous snakes and one corpse."
"It still could mean nothing, Mike."
"Sir. It's Lieutenant McGregor. Can you find out if something is happening on Samaru island in the next few weeks or months?"
"Why I had the feeling you were there, Lieutenant?" Steve chuckled.
"She does have a point," Mike said.
"Well, I don't have to find out. I can tell you at once that in November there are Presidential elections there."
"Any idea who's running?"
"No, but that I can find."
"Thanks, Steve. That will be all from us." They exchanged a quick goodbye before the hung the call. "Now all we can do is wait." Mike sighed.
"Well, that and reports," she said as they both stood up.
"Then let's do it in the officer's mess. That way we can go troughs them with
a brew or several on hand."
"Add a muffin, and I'm all yours… sir." They walk out of Mike cabin and down to the kitchen where they got themselves a brew, then Bomber entered the room.
"Sir, X."
"Bomber? Aren't you supposed to be on watch?" Mike asked
"I am, sir. I just came down to get ET and me a brew," she said grabbing two travel mugs. "Any news on those snakes, sir?"
"Commander Marshal is waiting for a report from Dr. Woods."
"Oh, ok."
"I've heard from Buffer that you did good today," Bomber smiled as she poured coffee into the mugs.
"Yeah, we talked about what happened with the training exercises, the way I reacted and the reason behind it."
"What was that caused you to almost send Spider overboard?" Mike asked
"Chips, sir." The Flynn's frowned. "Before I joined the Navy, I was cooking chips for the station hands on my parents' farm. One of the workers cut himself, and since I was training to become a medic I went to help him with it," she blushed. "And I completely forgot about the chips, and the kitchen caught on fire," her eyes filled with tears then. "One man went in, to put the fire out, but the fire spread to fast, and he was killed in the fire."
"And you haven't done any chips since" Kate affirmed, rummaging through the kitchen. Bomber nodded.
"Exactly, my family, everyone who knew him, blamed me for his death because I was the one who created that situation. That was four years ago; I couldn't take it, so I left and joined the Navy."
"You should try," Mike pointed. "To make them I mean."
"Buffer told me that we learn from and by our mistakes and we should face our fears head-on. You know? Like if you fall off a bike, you get back on."
"He's right," Mike agreed.
"I know, sir." Bomber frowned at Kate who was still going around the kitchen. "X? What are you looking for?" Kate blushed, grinning sheepishly.
"Muffins," Bomber laughed. "Do you know if there any left?"
"With Charge around? Not a chance, but I think you are going to love this even better."
She walked to the fridge and opening it; she pulled the vegetable crisper. Bomber moved some veggies to the side before she pulled out a package and placed the veggies in the same position before closing the door.
"Tim Tams," she grinned.
"Why did you put them in the fridge?" Mike grinned
"Charge goes in there all the time," Kate frowned.
"Yeah, but he never goes into the vegetable crisper," Bomber grinned opening the package. She picked four and her mugs before she turned around. "Now you know for next time, but don't tell Charge about it! Enjoy them! Goodnight sir, X."
With an bemused grin, Mike picked the packet while Kate grabbed the mugs before walking towards the office mess and their pile of documents.
"Have you had cold Tim tams, Kate?"
"Nope, you?"
"I guess there's a first time for everything, right?"
The next day, they returned to Ray Walsmen private island. His daughter, Carly, fell ill and they had to take them to the closest port with a hospital. All of Ray's boats were in Cairns, two on dry dock for repairing and one on the way back for supplies.
"Swain, what is it?" Mike asked watching the man approach him. "Where's Carly?"
"In the ward with Bomber. I need a word with you?" They moved Mike's cabin, "Sir, there's nothing wrong with Carly Walsmen."
"Are you saying she faked her illness?"
"Yes, sir."
"What about her fever and low blood pressure?"
"Those are the result of these," he said presenting an empty bottle of pills. "I spoke to a Doctor about these tablets. Among the side effects are high fever, low blood pressure, cold sweats. They'll last for twelve hours."
"I see. I can't see the reason behind it."
"You can't? Sir, Carly is a female teenager stuck on an island, no fun, no… nothing. All she wanted was to go to the mainland for few days and do what teenage girls do. She said she has no friends on the Island, and her father is too busy doing business, so she is bored."
"You know I'll have to inform her father about it, right?"
"I know, sir."
"How is she now?"
"Back to a normal teenager, sir."
"Alright, leave it to me."
"Yes, sir."
"Ray," Mike called as he returned to the bridge.
"Mike, is everything alright with Carly?"
"She's fine, but," he gave him the bottle.
"What? What's this? Where did you get it?"
"Ask your daughter, Ray. All she had was a secondary effect of those. My guess is she knew and hoped-for the side effects before she took them"
"What are you talking about? Carly doesn't take pills!"
"Ray, the side effects are low blood pressure, high fever, cold sweat. Swain confirmed it with a Doctor."
"You are wrong, Mike," he growled.
"Ray, when Swain examined Carly he said those exact symptoms. The side effects last around twelve hours. We think she took one of those, minutes before you found her and called for help. Now, it has been over twelve hours, and she has nothing wrong any longer. She tricked you to get to the mainland."
"But why? She has everything she needs on the island."
"She's a teenager; she wants to do things."
"Boys," Ray huffed.
"No, not really," Kate grinned and stood up next to Mike. "Shopping, movies with friends."
"All I want to do is protect her; she's all I got."
"Sir? When was the last time you and your daughter went out to a movie together? Or to dinner?" Kate asked
"I ... I've been busy."
"You should go and talk to her, and find out what she wants. Take her out to dinner or where she wants to go. Go shopping, let her be a happy girl for a few days and take time to spend with her," Kate said. "I'm saying this as a former teenage girl," she grinned.
"I'll go and talk to her," he turned and walked to the steps
"Ray," he turned to Mike.
"You are lucky to have a daughter. X is right, take some father-daughter time. You'll never know, she might surprise you." Ray nodded before he disappeared down the steps. "I hope Emma doesn't pull out stints like that," Mike whispered.
"No, she won't. She wants to be like you," Kate said smiling as she returned to the Captain chair.
An hour later, the Hammersley was in port. Mike and Kate watched as Ray and Carly get into the back of the ambulance before it drove away.
"Do you think we said the right things, Kate?"
"Yes. Even if we know he is up to something, it might be the only chance Carly will have to spend time with him."
"I'll guess you are right. Let's go and see Steve."
"I'll meet you on the wharf."
Three hours later, the Hammersley left port to resume their patrol. Over the next four weeks, the crew was kept busy with mayday calls and FFV. Two days before they were due to return to Cairns, they received a mayday call and had to turn for a boat which hit a reef.
On the way, Kate left the bridge and went down to Mike's cabin, where she got the letter out from its hiding spot, she opened and reread it. She went straight to the part with a boat name and frowned, folding it back she hid it again before she returned to the bridge.
"X? Are you ok?" Mike asked as she stood next to him.
"The name of the boat," she whispered. "I knew I heard it before, so I went and reread the letter."
"And it was on the mystery letter?"
"Yes, same boat. It says that female crew members shouldn't be near the three men on board and that we should do a background check." Mike thought about it.
"Alright. You go, Bomber stays. But have Buffer with you at all times, and that's an order, X," he added pointedly. She nodded.
"I will. Once they are on board, we need to keep the female crew away from them."
"Will do." Twenty minutes later the boarding team went to get ready.
"Bomber, you are not on this boarding team for this time," Kate said
"Why X?"
"Captain orders," Kate said as she got ready. Once they were on their way, Kate pulled Buffer to the side. "Buffer, the Captain wants you to stay close to me on this boarding."
"Why X?" He frowned.
"Call it a gut feeling."
"Alright, X. I'll stay close to you."
"Let's go then."
When they got to the boat, they could see there wasn't much time before it moved off and sunk. The boarding team got on the ship, and Kate managed to speak with the Captain who spoke some broken English. With a little help from the Captain, they moved the immigrates into the two HRIBS before they quickly head back to the Hammersley. A male-only crew was waiting at the back for their return.
It took them two more trips before all the people on board was safely in the Hammersley. A few moments later, the tide moved it out of the reef and it sunk. Kate went to get changed when Mike noticed three men were separated from the others. He walked over to Buffer after talking to them all.
"Buffer, keep an eye on the three in the corner. I don't trust them."
"The ones separated from the rest? I've noticed them too, sir."
"If there are any medical problems get Swain. I don't want Bomber or any other female near anyone here."
"Copy that, sir." Mike turned to look at them all before turning around to walking back the way he came.