CH 77

An hour later, they set a trap. A RHIB returned to the boat. After Mike and Swain spoke to the couple who owned the boat in person, they agreed to help the Navy. The boarding team boarded the RHIB. MacGyver managed to get hold of Frasier's phone when she was standing behind him. Then she passes Swain the phone without him realizing MacGyver took it. Then she got on board the RHIB. Once everyone was was on board the couples boat, the RHIB returned to Hammersley.

"What's going on?" Frasier asked.

"We have reason to believe that this boat is the next target," Kate said, looking at Fraiser.

"Target for what?" Dutchy asked.

"The pirates that have been attacking boats," Kate said.

MacGyver noticed Frasier starting to look worried.

They settle in, keeping a lookout. MacGyver nudged Kate. Kate looked at her then turned around to see Fraser trying to find his cell phone. They watched as he became frustrated since he couldn't find it.

"X, we got incoming," Dutchy announced.

"Ok, everyone, this is it. Fraiser! What are you doing? Stop what your doing and pay attention!" Kate said. They watched him put his vest back on. The boat that they had been watching approached the couple's boat. Three men board the couple's boat and point guns at them.

"Now!" Kate shouts. "Australian Navy! Put your weapons down!" Kate ordered as the boarding party emerged from where they had been hiding, pointing their guns at the three men. Shocked, the men gave up; they were outnumbered.

"Charlie eight-two this is x-ray eight two, we arrested the three pirates," Kate said.

"Good work, everyone. MacGyver..."

"Yes, Sir?"

"You were right, and the privilege is all yours."

"Gladly, Sir."

Kate took statements from the couple then thanked the couple for their help while waiting for Hammersley to return.

When the three men were secured on Hammersley, MacGyver stepped over to Frasier.

"Able seaman, you are under arrest for aiding the pirates by supplying them with information regarding the location of seventeen boats over the past three months."

"What are you talking about?"

"NAVCOM got copies of all your text messages and phone calls," Mike said.

"The reason why you couldn't warn your mates about our boarding was that I removed your phone and gave it to Swain. Swain gave it to RO so he could get everything off it and send it to NAVCOM. With all that information and the Navy records, it is a perfect match. You are a disgrace to that uniform and the Royal Australian Navy," MacGyver said.

"How could you do that?" Two Dads said to Fraser.

"The Navy made you soft!" Fraser said.

"You're wrong. It made me a better person and rehabilitation," Two Dads said as he walked towards the hatch.

"Get him out of here. The police will be here in two hours," Mike said. Swain and three others took the four men down to the austere to be held until the police arrived.

"MacGyver, your plan worked," Mike said.

"Yes, now the boaties can relax."

"That they can."

A few hours later, Hammersley docked in Cairns, and some of the crew got shore leave. MacGyver texts Jim before getting dinner for the crew, who are still on board.

Later that night, just before the sun sets, Jim showed up on the back of Hammersley with a tub of ice cream and two teaspoons. He found June there looking out to sea.

"Hey," she turned and smiled as he walked over and sat down, then kissed her. Everything ok?"

"Caught a crooked sailor today. Don't worry; it's not someone you know. The guy was a temporary fill-in. I worked out what he and his mates were up to, thought up a plan, and set a trap, and caught them."

"Good for you." Removing the lid from the ice cream and passes it to her knowing how she likes to lick the lid. Then he gave her a teaspoon. She dipped her spoon into the ice cream and took a bite, then Jim did the same.

"Just what I needed, but there's one thing missing," she said.

"Wine," Jim said.

"Yes, but having you here sharing this is worth it."

"Yes, it is." He fed her with his spoon, and she did the same while they talked. Jim stayed until ten. Then he left for home as MacGyver had to be up early to get breakfast for the crew.

The following day Hammersley left port with another temporary fill-in so they could finish their two-week patrol. When they returned, the crew got a few days' shore leave.

MacGyver went home and settled in with her routine. She cooked up pork barbeque sauce and spare ribs over the barbeque with potato, corn on the cob, and garlic bread for her and Jim's dinner. That was followed by a chocolate mousse with dark chocolate shavings throughout the mousse.

When Jim arrived home, he could smell the barbeque, and he walked around to the back of their house. He smiled when he heard the music and then watched as she does a little jig and twist singing along to a song while checking on dinner.

MacGyver looked up and smiled. "Hey, I hope you're hungry."

"Starved," he walked over and kissed her. "Smells good."

"Thanks. Why don't you go and get changed; dinner is almost ready."

"Sure."

When Jim returned downstairs, he went to get a drink, but he saw two glasses and two bottles of wine on the bench next to the fridge. Then he opens the fridge door and sees the chocolate mousse in a glass bowl, then smiling as he closes the door. He picked up a bottle of wine, bottle opener, the two glasses and walked outside just as June was dishing up their dinner. She had turned the music down low.

They talked while enjoying dinner and the desert outside. Talking about different things as they carry everything inside and clean up. Then they watch a movie on TV. After the movie, they went to bed and made love before falling asleep in each other's arms.

A few days later, Hammersley left for patrol. They went through a storm. While going through the storm, there was a mayday call. Hammersley headed to the mayday the best they could. By morning the storm had passed, and they found a life raft and a woman on it.

They learned that the boat she and her husband were on took on water, so he got her into the life raft and pushed it away from the ship. That was the last time she saw her husband and the boat. She was able to remember the last known coordinates. Hammersley went to the area, set up a search pattern, and found nothing. NAVCOM was notified about what happened as they returned to Cairns to drop the women off then went back out on patrol.

The next day two boats were picked up on radar, just where the missing boat might be. Mike took Hammersley to investigate what was going on. They found a guy, who was well known to the Navy, and who scavenges from boats that sank to the bottom. The other boat turned out to be the woman they rescued. The guy is her brother-in-law.

After things were sorted out on both boats Hammersley returned to patrol.

The following day, Hammersley returned to port.

Kate and Dutchy had been talking about the boat that was being scavenged. They planned on diving down to it and find out what is so important about that boat. Mike walked out onto the side deck where they were talking.

"X, Maxine wants to see us."

"When?"

"Five minutes. Did you have plans?"

"Yeah, it doesn't matter."

She follows Mike back through the hatch. Dutchy went to grab what he needed for the dive when MacGyver saw him.

"Where are you off to?"

"I'm going to hire a boat and go out to where that sunken boat is. The X and I were planning on going down, but she was called into NAVCOM with the CO."

"Wait for me; you're not diving alone."

"Ok, better hurry up."

MacGyver went, got changed, and grabbed her wet suit. On her way back to Dutchy, she ran into Two Dads.

"Two Dads..."

"Yeah?"

"When the CO and X return, let them know that Dutchy and I have gone diving. The X will know where."

"Ok."

MacGyver walked off Hammersley and got into the waiting taxi with Dutchy.

An hour and half later, they reached the area of the sunken boat and chucked the anchor. They put on their goggles and flippers then grabbed two small dive tanks and a camera. After putting the dive buoy over the side, they went in, diving down to the submerged boat.

They looked around and took photos. As they began to surface, Dutchy got caught up in a cable. MacGyver noticed something was wrong, so she dived down to check on him when she saw blood coming from Dutchy's side. She manages to remove the cable from around Dutchy's waist then help him to the surface. She swam back to the boat pulling him with her. Once she got to the boat, she pulled Dutchy on board.

She checks the wound, "I don't like the look of this... hang tight."

MacGyver did what she could for him using the first aid kit that was on board. Then she pulled up the anchor, brought in the dive buoy, started the motor, and headed back to Cairns.

On the way back, she called Kate. "X, it's MacGyver. If you get this message, meet Dutchy and me at Barry General. Dutchy was injured during the dive. We'll be in port in fifteen minutes. And have the Captain do a background check on Strauss. I think there is a link between him and any stolen gold bars."

Kate and Mike were on Hammersley talking when her phone rang. She was on Hammersley's phone making some calls, so she let it go to voice mail.

Kate noticed that Dutchy wasn't around, and neither was MacGyver. She asked around, and no one had seen them.

"X, MacGyver was talking to Two Dads. She said that she and Dutchy were going diving, and you know where," Bird told her.

"Ok, thanks Bird." Then she checks her messages. After listening to MacGyvers message, she walked quickly up to the bridge.

"Sir, MacGyver left me a message. She and Dutchy returned to where that boat sunk. They wanted to check it out, see if there was anything out of the ordinary. During the dive, Dutchy was wounded, and she's coming in and then bringing him to Barry General. She also said to do a background check on the Strauss and check for a link to the missing gold bars," Kate reported to Mike.

"Let's head to the hospital. RO, contact NAVCOM. Let them know we've been delayed for departure. Also, ask them to get everything they can on Lara and Martin Strauss and stolen gold."

"Yes, Sir."

Mike and Kate left for the hospital.

When MacGyver was in the channel, she called for an ambulance, and it was waiting by the dock when they arrived. Dutchy was lifted onto the gurney while MacGyver picked up their bags and followed them to the ambulance. When they arrived at the hospital, Mike and Kate were there. They found her in the corridor outside of the Dutchy's room while the doctor and nurse attended him.

"MacGyver," Kate said as she walked up to MacGyver.

"Sir, X," she walked over to them.

"What is going on?" Mike asked.

"This..." she opened the bag she had brought with her and showed Kate and Mike what was inside.

"Is that?..."

"Yes, X, a gold bar. I found three of them on the boat."

"That's why you wanted the couple checked out and about any stolen gold."

"That's right."

"What happened to Dutchy?" Kate asked.

"His wetsuit got caught up in broken cable rigging. It punched holes in his wetsuit and ripped his skin. He was bleeding when I got him on the boat. I came in with the throttle wide open to get here as quickly as possible."

"What about Martin Strauss?"

"There were no bodies, but we did find something very interesting. The main raft from the boat, it's missing. We also noticed the container was open. Dutchy got photos of it."

"So Martin Strauss is alive," Mike said.

"I believe so, yes. If he is alive, then he might be on one of the nearby islands."

"We'll need to check out the currents and wind speed. It might narrow it down." Kate said.

"We'll sort it out when we return to Hammersley," Mike said.

"MacGyver," she turned and walked over to the doctor who had just stepped out of Dutchy's room.

"Hi, Gregg, how's the patient?"

"He was fortunate you were with him."

"Thanks. So light duties and rest for him."

"Yes."

"He's not going to like it."

"I'm fine," Dutchy said from the doorway.

They walked over to him. "No, you're not fine, and when we return to Hammersley, you are going to your cabin to rest and no argument," MacGyver said to him.

"Or you'll what."

"My ovens are due for a scrub and clean, and we know what Two Dads is like."

"Yeah, ok, I'll do what you say."

"Good." She turned to the doctor, "anything else?"

"No, you know what to do."

"I do, thanks, Gregg. Come on, Dutchy." She held onto his arm for balance.

"I can walk by myself."

"You are going to listen to me. I know you are trying to be all macho, but it's not going to work with me, mate."

"Gee, your bossy today."

"Well, what did you expect when you're one bloody stubborn patient."

"I feel sorry for Jim," Dutchy muttered.

"Don't you dare bring Jim into this, Dutchy."

Mike and Kate watch them walk towards the exit.

"June sure cares about her crewmates, Commander," Gregg says.

"That she does. Thanks, doctor." Then he and Kate follow Dutchy and MacGyver towards the exit.

Once they were back on Hammersley, MacGyver made sure that Dutchy was settled in, and then she had a quick shower and dressed in her uniform. Hammersley left port and headed to the sunken boat.

RO printed out the photos that Dutchy had taken and passed them to Kate, who then showed them to Mike. Then Mike passed them to MacGyver, and she went through them. She showed Mike and Kate where the open container was, plus a closer look at the locks.

When they were close to the boat's location, the scavenger boat showed up on radar. It was there. A boarding team went over to talk to the skipper of the scavenger. They found him dead, and his two crew members were knocked out.

MacGyver and Swain took care of the wounded crewmembers while Mike contacted NAVCOM. Another patrol boat was sent and took the body of the skipper, the two wounded men, and transported the boat back to port. Hammersley headed to where Kate thinks the husband went.

Getting close to the island that Kate thought he would be on, they noticed a boat on radar. It was the same boat from that morning. Once they were close, a shore party went onto the island to check out where people from the boat were. When they found them, they came upon one brother pointing a gun at the other and the wife trying to stop them.

As they went in, they called out, "Australian Navy put the weapon down!"

The guy put the gun down, and all three of them were under arrest. They found the bags that had the gold.

Back on Hammersley, RO passed Mike a sheet of paper. The gold bars were stolen months ago in a robbery in Western Australia.

Back in port, all three suspects were handed over to the police. Charge took Dutchy home, and some of the crew volunteered to stay at Dutchy's place over the next few days. Swain and MacGyver take turns changing his dressings while they were on leave.

When Hammersleyleft for its next patrol, Dutchy was still on light duties for another week. They were kept busy with FFVs, maydays, and mother ships. When they returned from their patrol, they had a few days leave.