Hey everyone!

Well I'm done with the crazy work project! Thank goodness, now I can get back to the important things, writing lol. I have a few days off over Christmas, the first time in 15 years and it feels weird.

So just a reminder, unless you're going to read all the versions to make sure that you read the corresponding story, I'm just going to have the same sub chapter name/theme for them to differentiate them. I'm not clever enough to come up with chapter names lol. I find it hard enough to come up with titles for my fics. So your options will either be "Mike plays by the rules" or "Mike stands up for Kate". But by now you can probs guess which way each story in heading.

Once again thanks for reading!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a fab new year!

The Ties that Bind

Chapter 10 (Mike plays by the rules)

Later that day Maxine had found a replacement XO and the Hammersley had been approved to sail.

Dutchy ran up to the bridge and stood behind the 2 Federal Agents.

"So what's the plan?"

Agent Knowles looked back and him and then turned his attention back to the computer.

"We observe, we hope they're going to do a pick up and not dump a body..."

Dutchy gave them a stern look.

"They're not dumping a body!"

Mike walked up the stairs motioned towards Swain.

"Swain, can you take her out?"

Swain was confused why he wasn't taking the ship out himself but he did as he was told. Mike walked up behind Dutchy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"A word Petty Officer..."

He followed Mike to his cabin, he shut the door behind them. Mike glanced at Dutchy wondering how to start, he wanted to sound professional but it was hard when it involved Kate. He envied the fact that he and Kate were so close and that he could just put it all out there with no hesitation. Mike started to pace around the cabin, Dutchy sat on the chair sensing that it was a serious conversation.

"So, I heard you made a bit of a scene at Navcom..."

Dutchy wanted to take the high road but the tone in Mike voice got to him and his mouth took over.

"Well someone had to..."

Mike glared at him and grit his teeth and exhaled loudly.

"Watch it Petty Officer..."

Dutchy knew he was out of line, he broke eye contact.

"What exactly did you want to talk about boss?"

Mike took a step towards him trying to assert his authority.

"I just want to make sure you're head is in the game, we've got a lot at stake here and..."

Dutchy was sick of being patronised, all he was doing was looking after a friend and he was being treated like he doing something crazy and unreasonable. He stood up trying to level the conversation.

"You brought me in here to lecture me? I'm the one who made this happen..."

Mike knew he had hit a nerve, he knew that Dutchy's fuse could be shortm he tried to backtrack.

"Look Dutchy we both care about Kate but..."

Dutchy snorted, this was getting insulting.

"Care? What did you do to help this? You told Paul to bugger off how did that help?"

Mike knew this was inappropriate talk for the boat but he couldn't stop.

"Oh just get over yourself Dutchy, you're just mad that I was right about him..."

"See that's exactly your problem, all you're concerned about is being right and following rules. I tried to help you two, Paul tried to help you too but all you can do it think about yourself! Well I'm done, she deserves someone who cares about her, that would do anything for her!"

Mike scoffed.

"What? And you think that's you?"

Dutchy was shocked, did Mike really think that little of him.

"Well we both know it's not you..."

Dutchy shook his head and headed for the door, he slammed the door and headed back up to the bridge to find out what the plan was but also to be around people where Mike wouldn't cause a scene.

He stood behind the Agents trying to heard their plan, Agent Knowles didn't like him hovering and stepped away. Mike came up the stairs and cleared his throat.

"Right so I assume we're staying below the horizon?"

Agent Knowles nodded while looking at the radar.

"Yeah, our contact has been able to..."

Dutchy interrupted.

"What you're still using that guy?"

Agent Knowles gave Dutchy an unimpressed look.

"Yes Petty Officer..."

"What if he was your leak?"

Agent Knowles shook his head.

"No, Paul McGregor admitted to it...anyway, can I continue?"

Dutchy rolled his eyes. Agent Rowe continued.

"Right, so the second shipment is due to be handed over at first light, it gives up plenty of time to get close..."

Dutchy threw his hands in that air out of frustration.

"And what are you plans for Kate and Paul? Do we have an exit strategy to get them out safe..."

Agent Knowles was getting sick of him interrupting, Mike could tell they were getting frustrated.

"Petty Officer, why don't you show Shane around..."

Dutchy knew Mike was just trying to get him out the way.

"Shane?"

At that moment Shane Radley walked up the stairs.

"Ah that would be me, you're replacement XO..."

He went to shake Dutchy's hand, Dutchy hesitated.

"Hi..."

Mike gave Dutchy a warning look, Dutchy gave in he needed to remember they were at work and he needed to conduct himself accordingly.

"Ah yeah come with me, I'll show you around..."

They walked down the stairs and into the galley, Dutchy got out a couple of cups and started to make them a coffee.

Shane wasn't sure what was going on but he could definitely feel some tension.

"So umm what kind of mission we got here? Why are the Feds here? It must be serious yeah?"

He saw Dutchy nod, he wasn't sure why he was acting so strange, he tried another topic.

"So umm where's your previous XO..."

Silence. Shane shook his head and made one last attempt.

"So those Feds seem pretty stuck up, what's the deal with..."

Dutchy slammed the coffee jar down on the counter, Shane froze immediately, a little scared of Dutchy's reaction. Dutchy leaned forward on the counter and exhaled.

"How much have you been told?"

Shane was confused about the question and the tone in Dutchy's voice.

"Ah, not a lot, I was crash sailed..."

Dutchy finished making the coffee and handed him a cup.

"Sorry, look maybe I should explain, come with me."

They made their way to the senior sailors mess and sat down.

Dutchy took a sip of his coffee trying to think where to start.

"There are most likely 2 hostages on this drug smuggling boat..."

"Oh..."

Shane didn't really know what to say, he sipped on his coffee, Dutchy glanced over to him.

"One of them is our XO..."

Shane swallowed his mouthful burning his throat, he winced.

"I'm sorry Dutchy, I didn't know..."

"Well don't be sorry, just make sure you do your job..."

Shane did feel for the situation that they were in but he was getting tired of the attitude seeming he was Dutchy's superior.

"Petty Officer, I will always do my job to the best of my abilities but we need to do this as a team and I can't have someone thinking that they're doing everything and everyone else is doing nothing..."

Dutchy exhaled loudly, he sat there sipping n his coffee for a moment. Maybe he did have some type of feelings for Kate and this is how they were presenting themselves.

"Sorry..."

He swished his coffee around in the cup.

"It just, all I've been getting is protocol this and procedure that, doesn't anyone actually care that it's one of us out there?"

Shane didn't really know much about the situation and he didn't want to make things worse, he could tell Dutchy was already on edge.

"Mike seems like he's pretty on top of it, I'm sure he's handling things..."

Dutchy put his heads in his hands, Shane gave him a pat on the back.

"Look Dutchy it's often more complicated and it's frustrating but if we don't cross out t's and dot our i's it can go very badly..."

Dutchy laughed half heartedly

"Hey you don't have to tell me, I was suspended..."

Shane looked surprised, he wasn't sure how much he should ask, Dutchy could see his apprehension and laughed again.

"It's a long story, but one that you should probably hear if you're helping us out for a while..."

Kate sat below trying to think of a plan, she had hoped that someone had noticed her missing by now, she cursed herself for pushing Dutchy away. She sat there thinking about how she had mistreated him, he was just trying to help, more than anyone else had. Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard the motor stop and she heard voices above. She attempted scoot her way over to the stairs to see if she could see or hear anything.

On deck another boat pull along side, 2 men shoved Paul on board. One of them tightened the rope on Paul's wrists.

"Hey, you sure you'll be okay with these 2?"

Terry hesitated for a moment.

"Maybe 1 of you should come with me, the girl's trouble..."

They nodded and one of the men boarded the boat and the other unhitched the rope and sped off.

Terry, Paul and Gaz sat up on the deck. Paul tried to struggle out of the rope, Terry untied him, Gaz grabbed Terry' arm stopping him.

"What are you doing?"

Terry snatched his arm away and continued to untie the rope.

"Don't worry, he's not going to do anything stupid..."

He turned to Paul.

"Are you?"

Paul nervously shook his head, Gaz looked confused as his response.

"The girl we've got below, it's his sister..."

Gaz laughed.

"Is she hot?"

Paul lunged at Gaz.

"Don't you even think about it..."

Terry pulled him back and shoved him into the corner of the boat.

"Just sit down and shut up else I'll let him down there!"

Terry threw life vest at him.

"Put this on, we wouldn't want our insurance policy to go overboard now would we?"

Paul attempted to put the vest on, it was heavy, he struggled with it.

"Are you sure that this is..."

Terry stood over him with a mean look on his face.

"Just put it on!"

Paul nodded and did as he was told.

Back on Hammersley Dutchy stood impatiently at the radar, he glanced back and forth from the radar to Paul's computer. Mike walked up behind him and tried to sound normal.

"What's happening Dutchy..."

Dutchy took a deep breath in, he could see Mike was trying to be civil so he should be too.

"It looks like they've transferred Paul to the same ship that Kate is on..."

Mike turned to the agents and waved them over to the radar.

"So which is the boat making the drop?"

Agent Knowles pointed to the dot on the edge of the screen.

"That one, they've got a new boat, 'You Beauty' was compromised when you boarded so they dumped it. We need to stay below the horizon, if they see us we're stuffed...you can't stuff this up again!"

Dutchy frowned, there it was again, the blame. He had had enough, he turned to confront the Agents.

"How can you still be accusing us of stuffing up, you said that Paul made an admission!"

"Yes, but who brought him here? Who took him on a tour of the boat? Look you need to realise that it's not just your girlfriend who's in danger okay?"

The bridge fell silent at Agent Knowles' choice of words, he looked around and all the stunned faces. Dutchy left the bridge embarrassed.

Mike cleared his throat trying to get on with it.

"So umm, what are we going to do once the exchange has been made?"

"I want 2 teams, one each going after each of the boats, we have to assume these guys are armed and dangerous. But for now we just sit tight..."

Shane stepped forward.

"Ah, so look I know I'm new here but why aren't we going to try and intercept before hand? That way we're on the front foot not trying to chase them..."

"We need to catch them in the act..."

"But surely the safety of an officer..."

Agent Knowles rolled his eyes.

"You're starting to sound like our dear old Petty Officer."

Shane was surprised that Mike was letting them get away talking like that, he turned to Mike.

"Ah Boss, can we have a word..."

Mike nodded and they headed for his cabin. Mike entered ad closed the door behind Shane.

"What's up X?"

Shane didn't really want to get involved in what seemed like a personal issue between Mike and Dutchy and Kate but he was the person between Mike and Dutchy so he needed to understand what was going on.

"Ah this whole thing seems a bit... I mean look I don't wanna cause any trouble but I can't help but feel there's more to all of this..."

Mike shook his head.

"I think you're reading too much into it..."

"With all due respect Boss my ass is also on the line and I need to know if there are any issues with Dutchy. He seems to be taking this all rather personally..."

Shane cringed as soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew that it was a dangerous accusation.

As much as Mike hated the idea of Dutchy and Kate he didn't want to their reputations to be ruined, especially if nothing were to eventuate.

"Well one of our crew mates is being held hostage, don't you think that warrants him to be worried?"

Shane didn't believe that Mike could that be naive to it, he pushed further.

"Well yes, but I mean, aren't you worried about her? You're not flipping out at any little comment that the agents make... I mean, is Agent Knowles accusation right? Are they involved? Because I thought they were on the same ship..."

Mike needed to put a stop to it, he out on his best CO's voice

"XO, it is completely untrue, and even if it was, they weren't on the same ship, well not in the beginning. So anyway, are we clear?"

Shane nodded.

"Yes Boss..."

Shane left his cabin, Mike took a deep breath in and went to find Dutchy. He found him in the Senior sailors mess, he stood as Mike entered the cabin.

"Boss..."

Mike sat own opposite him.

"Sit Petty Officer..."

Dutchy had no strength to fight he was too worried about Kate, he sat.

"You need to smarten up Dutchy, Shane has already assumed that you and Kate have some sort of relationship, I don't need to tell you what that would do to yours and Kate's reputation if that go out."

Dutchy let out a frustrated huff.

"What do you care about my reputation, I think you've already made your own assumptions about that?"

Mike slammed his fist on the table out of frustration, Dutchy knew exactly what to say to get to him.

"Dutchy believe it or not, I care a lot!"

Dutchy glanced up at him with a cold look.

"But not enough right?"

Mike let out a frustrated grunt.

"Apparently not..."

There was an awkward pause in the conversation. Mike exhaled loudly in defeat.

"Can we just drop this, we need to concentrate on getting her back safe..."

Dutchy hesitated, he knew Mike was right.

"Yeah, alright..."

Dutchy got up to leave the mess. Mike called out after him.

"Dutchy..."

He turned at the door.

"Yeah?"

"Just don't hurt her..."

Dutchy gave him a half hearted smile and left.

End of chapter 10.

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