Please make sure you have read Chapter 8 and A/N before reading this chapter!

Dutchy glared at him persistently, willing him to do something, do anything to indicate that he was capable of acting on his emotions.

"Mike, this could be your only opportunity."

He nodded slightly as a sign of agreement.

"Come back into Maxine's office..."

Dutchy frowned, he knew if he went back in there she would make him hand over the laptop.

"Mike..."

He shoved him towards her office.

"Dutchy, just trust me. I can't, I won't lose her..."

It was against Mike's better judgment but he knew that they had a common goal and neither of them wanted to see anything bad happen to Kate. Dutchy sighed and walked back into Maxine's office. Maxine stood from her desk surprised to see them back. Mike stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"We'll hand it over as long as we can go out with them...That's my first and final offer..."

Maxine raised any eyebrow, Mike wasn't normally so direct and insistent, she stood from her desk and approached him.

"You know they're not going to go for this..."

Dutchy placed the laptop on the desk.

"It would be such a pity if we were to advertise their appalling search skills..."

Maxine grinned, she knew what he was implying, she was of course on their side but she needed to appear impartial.

"I'll give them a call but I can't promise anything..."

15 minutes later Agent Knowles and Agent Rowe appeared at Maxine's door, she stood up and let them in.

"Commander White I'm really not into all the drama, can you please tell me what is going on..."

Mike and Dutchy stood up and faced the agents, Agent Knowles rolled his eyes a little as he saw them.

"Seriously? I've heard enough from you guys..."

Dutchy opened the laptop and put it on her desk

"Yeah, but I guarantee you're gonna want to talk to us after you see this..."

Agent Knowles and Agent Rowe slowly approached the desk and leaned in towards the screen, Agent Knowles squinted ever so slightly.

"What is this?"

"This is Paul McGregor's personal computer that I found stashed in an air conditioning vent behind the dresser in his room."

Agent Knowles stood back up and rolled his eyes.

"Oh how convenient..."

Dutchy ignored his dig.

"We think these are trackers... we're not sure who, but what if they're the smugglers, maybe he was smart enough to have a contingency plan if something went wrong..."

Agent Knowles shook his head dismissing the theory.

"Or this is a trap..."

Maxine was getting irritated with the Agent's inability to cooperate, she tried to reason with him.

"Agent Knowles, we are trying to help you. May I suggest that I send you out with the Hammersley and track the one heading out to sea?"

Mike was focused on the second dot, it was on the move.

"Look, the second one is now moving... we have the advantage on the water, we just need to work together, trust each other. We have a much better chance of catching these guys together."

Agent Knowles sighed, he knew they had a point. Before he had an opportunity to respond Mike interrupted.

"But you need to let us take our Buffer."

Agent Knowles was silent for a minute, he glanced at Agent Rowe who gave him a single nod.

"Okay, but Lieutenant Commander McGregor is still banned from the mission..."

Dutchy glanced at Maxine, she nodded at him indicating him to share their information with the agents.

"Ah Lieutenant Commander McGregor is currently missing..."

The agent's eyes widened, Agent Knowles cleared his throat.

"Missing?"

Mike braced himself for a grilling.

"Ah, we went to her house this morning and he door was unlocked but she's nowhere to be found, she's not answering her phone."

"Did it look like there was a disturbance at her place?"

They shook their heads.

"No..."

"Okay well maybe we need to assume that she's with her brother, willingly even..."

Mike and Dutchy didn't like the thought of them thinking that Kate was guilty, Mike glanced at Maxine hoping to get a sense of what side she was on.

"Look, it's not safe to assume anything, we just need to get out there and see what's going on. The truth always comes out and either way hopefully we will have shut down a drug smuggling ring..."

Agent Rowe glanced at Agent Knowles, she felt bad for the crew, they obviously cared and they didn't have the full story. If they were willing to share their information the AFP should share theirs, they were on the same side after

all. She cleared her throat and avoided eye contact with Mike, Dutchy and Maxine.

"Ah, look from all the intel gathered and now this laptop we think that he's definitely involved and he's potentially taken her hostage..."

Mike's expression darkened.

"So what, you knew this was a potential outcome and you just let it happen..."

"No Commander, of course not. Look let me start from the beginning. We actually went and saw Paul at the hospital after his OD. He obviously still had connections and we wanted to know if he'd work with us..."

Dutchy scrunched up his face.

"What?"

"Look at that point we had no idea that he was actually in on all this, it was our only chance since the first shipment got in, but he declined and insisted that he had nothing to do with it and it was just a once off."

""Weren't you worried that he'd go tell someone if he was involved..."

"Not really, they already knew we were on to them either way... plus if they knew then they were probably more likely to stuff up."

There was an awkward silence, Mike glanced at Maxine.

"Well, we'd better not waste any more time and get out there then..."

Maxine picked up her phone.

"I'll see if I can find you an replacement XO... you'll sail as soon as I find one so stay by your phones."

Mike smiled satisfied, the agents didn't really have a choice other than to go along with their plan. They nodded and left, Mike and Dutchy followed, Mike stopped at the door and turned.

"Thanks Max..."

Maxine nodded while on the phone, she put her hand over the speaker.

"Mike, you need to follow the rules on this one... these Agents don't mess around. I won't be able to help you if you and Dutchy do anything stupid..."

Mike nodded and left. The agents were waiting for him outside of the office, Agent Knowles pulled him aside.

"I don't like being forced into things Commander, just know I'm not happy with this."

"I don't see the problem, either way you'll catch someone doing something."

"Well you'd better hope that your dear Lieutenant Commander isn't involved, if she is and you make us look bad I'll burry all of you..."

He gave him a glare and stormed off. Mike took a deep breath in, Dutchy gave him a nod.

"It's for Kate boss..."

He nodded and exhaled, he took out his phone and messaged the crew. He wanted to brief them all without the Agents breathing down his neck.

Mike waited patiently for the crew to arrive, Dutchy was the first to arrive he entered Mike's house with a carton of beer. Mike raised his eyebrow, Dutchy wasn't sure if it was a look of disapproval.

"Hey it's not an official work meeting if Maxine isn't here..."

The crew arrived and they gathered in Mike's lounge room, Dutchy handed everyone a beer, Swain opened his bottle and laughed.

"New style of briefing for a mission? I like it?"

Dutchy laughed and shook his head.

"Though we could all use a bit of ah, encouragement..."

Mike stood in front of the crew and cleared his throat.

"Okay, well... there's a few things I wanted to discuss..."

Dutchy interrupted and smirked.

"Without Commander White..."

Mike didn't want to make it us vs them thing but he needed to make the crew aware of the situation.

"We're going out to look for Paul..."

2Dads raised his hand.

"What? Kate's brother?"

Mike nodded.

"He's done a runner... We, Dutchy, Maxine and I and the feds think he's involved with the smuggling of heroin..."

2Dads raised his hand again, Mike shot him an annoyed look.

"We'll explain everything in due course but all you guys need to know at the moment is that Kate and Paul are missing, Dutchy found a laptop hidden in his room with a tracking program on it. It is currently tracking 2 people or shipments or, well we don't know. We're going out this afternoon with t2 agents from the AFP to follow and hopefully catch whatever is and hopefully they'll lead us to them..."

2Dads sheepishly raised his hand again, Mike rolled his eyes.

"Yes 2Dads..."

"He wouldn't really hurt her would he? You saw them together at the party, he loved her, she's his baby sister..."

Mike sighed, he hoped that 2Dads was right.

"I don't know 2Dads, drugs and drug debts can do funny things to people..."

2Dads stood up and headed for the door.

"Well what are we waiting for then?"

End of Chapter 9.

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