Ch 106
After getting changed, Kate went to the com room and grabbed the camera. From the top deck, she took pictures of the three suspects and from the other ones just in case.
"RO," she called once she returned to the COM room. "Please, find out who these men are."
"Why is that, X? If you don't mind me asking."
"I'm not sure, but what I know is they don't look or sound like Filipino's." RO nodded and started his check.
"This could take hours, X," he commented as thousands of pictures passed by the second.
"What if you only try with military background or training?"
"It will take less time," he said, and Kate nodded. He stopped the search and added some filters.
A minute later, the first match flashed across the screen. Before she could ask, she heard the printer starts. She grinned at him and waited for the first couple of pages as RO worked the second pic.
"RO?" Mike said.
"Sir," Kate answered. "I think you better get armed crew on deck and warn Buffer. RO was able to identify one so far. Eastern European extraction with military background and training."
"X, another match," Mike heard on the background.
"Sir, make that two."
"Alright, X. I'll see what I can do."
"What do you think about putting women and children at the aster? At least that way they won't be in harm's way if something does happen, sir."
"Excellent idea, X. I'll have the female crew moving them and staying with them. Let me know if you get more info."
"Will do, sir." She said before they hung.
Mike got up and went to get Bomber. He spoke to her about the moving, and she nodded before she disappeared in search of her female coworkers. Then, Mike went in search of those who would be his security detail. He explained them the reason behind the need before he finally walked out on deck.
"Buffer, ET, a word." He called, and both walked over to Mike.
"Sir."
"X and RO have identified the men as Eastern European extraction with military training."
"Any idea why they are here, sir?" ET asked
"I don't know. For now, the girls are taking women and children down below just in case they try to do something. And more trained personnel will be taking over Spider, Long John, and Spike since they don't have any martial arts training and the three men do."
"Sir," Mike turned to Bomber and TJ
"We are ready to show the women and children down to get some rest, sir." Bomber said loud enough so the others could hear as well.
"Very well." Mike turned to the group. "Ladies, children, if you, please follow these Ladies they will take you down so you can get rest. I'm sorry to say that there's only enough room for the women and children. We will reach port in five hours. Spider, Long John, Spike, can you help them carry the younger ones?"
"Yes, sir." They all said. Women and children got up from where they were and walked following the women crew members, in the movement of people, the armed crew members found their way out on the deck. With women and children safe, Mike left Buffer in charge by giving him a radio and instructions before he went back to the bridge.
"Spider."
"Yes, sir?"
"Take water bottles to the men on the deck and tell Bomber to make them all something to eat."
"Yes, sir."
Mike walked to the Com room and knocked on the door and then it open.
"Sir, X said you might come down here," RO said as Mike closed the door. "I got Commander Marshal on the line. He received the fax X asked to send him."
"Thanks, RO," he said as he grabbed the phone.
"Sir, are you ok?" RO asked once he finished the call.
"Yeah," he said before he left to the bridge. Kate saw him from her position at the Captain's chair.
"Sir, are you ok?"
"I've just spoken to Steve. He received your fax and had them checked out. You are not going to believe who hired them."
"Ray Walsmen," she stated.
"Yes, the question is how many more he will be hiring? Steve's going to contact the fleet command about this. And will include the suspect of its connection with the upcoming Samaru Island election."
"What should we do about the trio?"
"When we reach port, we'll hand them over to the feds."
"Ok."
They docked five hours later, women and children were the first to get down on land. Then Mike nodded to the armed guards, and they stepped closer to the three men.
"Sirs, can you come with us, please?" Buffer asked.
As a response, the threesome attacked Buffer. But they were quickly overcome by the five guns pointing to them. The feds reached the wharf then, as the crew took them to the Hammersley and into the waiting cuffs of the feds.
"Sir, if you don't mind me asking," Buffer said as he walked to the deck again. "What the hell's going on here?" Mike chuckled and shook his head before walking towards the bridge.
"Now, this is the Captain speaking," Mike's voice came over the mic, "all senior crew to the bridge in ten minutes, that is all." Outside Buffer sighed.
Inside, Kate joined Mike on the bridge with two cups of coffee in hands.
"What's going on...sir?" Mike grinned
"We should fill them in."
"Ok. So, until then, care to tell me what you got planned for us over the next two weeks?" Mike grinned
"I'm not saying."
The senior crew showed up punctually, Mike looked around and grinned.
"Yes, I'm aware that your shore leave started ten minutes ago, but what I... we got to say is important," He looked at Kate
"As you all remember, a couple of months ago aid workers were attacked on Samaru island," they all nodded. "Then we found Dave Williams, Steve Turner and their boat of poisonous snakes. And now we got those three men."
"Are you saying that there's a connection, X?" Swain asked
"Yes. There is. Actually, they all connect to Ray Walsmen." Mike stated. "X and Buffer took photos of the men on his private island. Among them, there are dishonored discharged special ops from Russia; they sold weapons on the black market. Then some members of the Samaru insurgents," Mike said.
"And you have proof that they all connect to Ray Walsmen, sir?" Swain asked
"Yes, and so does Commander Marshal. There's more, Commander Marshal called a few minutes ago." He added somberly. "While we were dealing with the evacuation of the aid workers, HMAS Bingo found a dog in the sea and a broken-down yacht. The boarding party went to fix the engine and found a picture of a family and their dog. Eight men attacked the boarding party and stole their HRIB. The crew recovered the stolen HRIB on Samaru island. Thanks to the helmet camera NAVCOM was able to identify them as eastern European mercenaries with a military background."
"How many men do you think there are, sir?" Buffer asked
"We don't know at this stage, Buffer. X and I are on our way to meet Commander Marshal."
"Sir? What happened to the family?" Nav asked
"The boarding team found them tied; they were reunited with their dog. So, at least, there's a happy ending there," they all grinned.
"Now, go and enjoy your two-week leave, you all deserve this."
Twenty minutes later Mike and Kate were sitting in Steve office. They were going over the mayday calls and the FFV including the last mayday. When they finished, they talked about what had been happening on Samaru islands and the Ray Walsmen situation.
An hour later, Mike and Kate walk out of Steve office and NAVCOM to head on a home looking forth to spend two weeks enjoying with their kids and in bed together in the nights. As per usual, the crew and their families got together at the pub for drinks and dinner that night.
"ET? What are your plans for the next two weeks?" Spider asked
"I'm going to my parent's place for few days; it's my mum's fiftieth birthday on Saturday. The family is getting together to celebrate it."
"Cool, what about you Buffer?"
"I'm visiting the family, what about you Spider?"
"I don't know yet. Swain? You? Let me guess spending it with your family."
"Yup, my plans exactly. Charge? What are you doing with it?"
"Amy has a week of leave," he wriggled his eyebrows. "She's coming up to spend it with me."
"We are missing your plans, Nav," ET said with a grin. She turned to face them with a huge smile.
"I for once, plan to sleep in with no wake calls just before midnight," Nav looked at Buffer pointedly, making everyone laugh. "Besides that, I'm going to pamper myself with spa days and shop till I drop," she grinned. "What about you sir, X?"
"Like most of you, spend it with our family," Mike grinned.
"What? You aren't going to spoil X, sir?" Nav asked jokingly.
"Yes, I am."
"You will have to text me what he got for you," Nav fake whispered to Kate and finished with a wink, making all laugh. "What about you, Bomber?"
"I don't know for sure. I guess it will improve if the Houn happens to be in port over the next two weeks." She grinned.
A few hours later, Kate and Mike took the kids home, and soon the pub was empty.
Two weeks later, everyone was gathered up going about their holidays and doing their jobs when Mike showed up. Kate frowned when she noticed the look on his face.
"Buffer, can you take over?"
"Sure, X," he nodded as he grabbed her clipboard. Kate walked towards Mike.
"What's wrong?" She said as they both came to a stop.
"The fleet Command," he groaned. "They want me to stay on the Hammersley for a while."
"What?" Kate said in shock
"Even I was surprised, Kate. Although, they did provide with a good reason."
"And that is?" She hissed.
"Ray Walsmen." He stated simply; she raised her eyebrow in questioning.
"Kingston and Bendigo have noticed suspicious activity on one side of his island over the past week. Bendigo boarded a boat with enough ammo for a small army, along with five men identified as Russia's special ops."
"Same group?"
"Yes."
"Then, why you have to stay on the Hammersley?"
"My friendship with Ray Walsmen."
"The fleet command wants you to use your bond to get close to him."
"Yes, at least until we figure what are his plans I will be out there with the best crew to have my back… The Hammersley's."
"We have no choice."
"No. But," Mike grinned. "I told Steve to tell them that either they return me to my shore posting once this is done or I will resign because family is more important than the Navy," Kate looked at him with a shocked expression.
"You said that to Commander Marshal?"
"Yup, I even gave him my resignation for him to have."
"Mike," she whispered. "You love being in the Navy."
"I do, Kate. And I love you and the kids more," Kate closed her eyes for a few seconds before she could open them again.
"You mean it, Mike?"
"Yes."
"Can we talk about it when we return from this patrol?"
"Sure. How about we schedule dinner at that Chinese restaurant, just you and me," Kate smiled.
"Sailor, you got yourself a date," she winked.
"Good. Shall we? The crew is staring," Mike said looking up, Kate turned around, and the whole crew started moving again. She shook her head and walked up.
"You'll better hurry up! Or I'll start giving away cleaning duties," she said in a loud command tone. Mike grinned as he saw the crew work as fast as humanly possible.
"X," she turned to Buffer. "Is everything ok?"
"Yes," she answered a bit too fast. "Not really, the fleet command wants Mike to stay on the Hammersley until the thing with Ray Walsmen is sorted."
"No wonder he didn't look happy."
"Yeah," she sighed.
"ET! What the hell are you doing?" He said.
"I'm sorry, Buff," ET grinned picking up a couple of boxes.