CH 91
When they arrived, they got the SAS on board. MacGyver and Kate were waiting for them on the island.
"MacGyver."
"Hi, Doc. Can your medical team follow me?" MacGyver takes him to all the sick people. She told the Doc that she and Swain gave them IV fluids and what pain relief that got on Hammersley.
MacGyver warned Doc and those with him how bad it is.
"Swain…" He looked up from where he was working.
"Got any more morphine with you? I ran out."
"Yes, MacGyver told us the situation; let's get started." They spent the next few hours getting everything set up and making their patients as comfortable as possible.
Kate got the SAS to take over from the Hammersley crew, who were digging graves to bury the people who died. Bird stayed on board and prepared dinner with the help of one of the crew as MacGyver was on the island.
Melbourne and Hammersley were there on-site for three days. They left after the last patient had died and was buried. It was hard for everyone after what they'd seen and what they had done.
As they were leaving, Dr. Wallace called, so both ships headed to Stokes Island. When they arrived, Dr. Wallace was there with three very sick patients and their loved ones.
One was Ruby, the little girl, and her mother. Melbourne took the patients and relatives with them, and they steamed back to Cairns. Hammersley took the bodies of those who had passed away back to the island to be buried with their loved ones.
Later, Mike had Hammersley take a different route so MacGyver could take water samples. En route, they came across three FFV that was drifting. A boarding party was sent to the first one they came upon. They found that all aboard the first vessel had died. The dead sailors had a rash all over their bodies. They also saw the remains of a fish that they had eaten. MacGyver took samples of the fish's water and tested them.
"X, look at this. It's off the scale," showing Kate the test strip and what level it can go up to.
"How high is the reading?"
"More than twenty-five X. These guys got a lethal dose of arsenic and mercury poisoning from fish."
"Let's check the other two boats." The other two boats had the same findings.
Kate informed Mike about what had happened. He was shocked by the news.
"Sir, we can take these boats to Columbus Island, and then NAVCOM can send someone to collect the bodies."
"Copy that MacGyver." Once everything was sorted, the two-man crew steaming party headed to Columbus Island with Hammersley just ahead of them. Once everything was taken care of, they all returned to Hammersley. Hammersley headed back to Cairns.
"Sir," MacGyver said as she sat in front of her laptop.
"What is it, MacGyver?"
Picking up her laptop, she walked over to the captain's seat.
"Can divert to here and for water test?" She pointed to two dots on the screen.
"That's twenty miles out of our way."
"I know that, Sir. We can meet up with Childers as they are doing their patrol there."
she circles an area on the screen.
"They can get water samples while in the area if I give them the coordinates. With their results, it would give me a rough idea on how bigger area this toxin has spread, plus it would be close to international water," she pointed out.
"Alright, we will do it."
"Thank you, Sir." Mike changed course till they reached the two areas where MacGyver got her water samples.
Mike contacted Childers and had them rendezvous with Hammersley. MacGyver went over with the boxes and pen drive. She spoke to the captain and XO on the bridge, explaining what she needed to be done, and passed them a pen drive.
"Coordinates and everything you need is on here," MacGyver told them.
"Why the test?"
"I'll show you, come with me, Sirs," they walk to the back of the boat.
She spoke to the crew and gave them instructions on what she needed to have done. "What are the results, leader?" she asked.
"The tests show the water to be positive for Mercury and arsenic," he answered.
"Ok, now the last test." They watch as he dips the test stick into the water. He looked at it and compared it to the colour chart
"It reads fifteen," he reported.
"Very good. When you get the results, write them down."
"What does it mean, MacGyver?" the CO asked.
"I means that there is enough toxin in the sea right now to make you very sick, even kill you eventually from cancer. Any toxin in the water should be below point one zero. These tests are showing fifteen. This means the levels of toxins are high. Anything over twenty, and it's like the water is radioactive.
We found three FFV with all of the men on board dead. They caught and ate fish. They all were covered in a rash and even had blisters on them. They would've suffered a slow and painful death within four or so hours of eating the fish."
"Any idea who's behind it?"
"Commander Flynn is going to find out when we return to home-port."
"What should we do when we get the test results?"
"Send them to Hammersley. RO can keep a record of them for me. Don't forget to do a video recording of each test."
"Will do."
"Thanks and good luck."
"What if we come across an FFV with sick men?"
"It's all on the pen drive."
"Thanks, MacGyver." MacGyver returned to the RHIB then back to Hammersley. Then both ships went their own way."
When Hammersley docked, MacGyver was on the bridge and noticed who was waiting on the wharf. When she stepped onto the wharf, Jim looked at her tired face. He pulled her into his arms, and as they hugged, she cried. Jim noticed Mike and Kate on the bridge looking down at them.
"Hey, are you ok?"
She pulled back from Jim. "I gather you heard?"
"Yeah, the guys told me what happened and how bad it was."
"It has been a nightmare for all of us, Jim. The water test results so far have been high. The sea around the four islands is contaminated, and everyone is dying from cancer, Jim. we got to find out who the bastards are and make them pay."
"I know you won't give up, June."
"Jim, it's not only the people who will be affected; it's ecosystems, the food chain has been contaminated as well."
"Meaning?"
"For example, seals eat contaminated fish; they get the toxin in their system, which could lead to death or pass the poison onto the pup. Plus, if that seal gets eaten by a shark or killer whale…."
"It will affect them also."
"Yes. And with sharks, should an FFV catch a contaminated shark for its fins and then it ends up in a restaurant…."
"The person who eats it would be contaminated as well."
"And then have a fifty-fifty chance of getting cancer."
"I hope you can stop whoever's responsible."
"Same here."
"Let's go home, and you can tell doctor Jim Roth all about it. If you're good, I'll give you a foot massage in a bubble bath with a tub of ice cream and wine."
"Sounds perfect right now." He kissed her, then taking her seabag out of her hand, he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders as they walked along the dock. They gave Mike and Kate a quick wave.
The following day MacGyver and Jim went into town to buy a gift for Ruby then went to the hospital together. When they walked into her room, her mother was there. Looking up, she said, "hi."
"Hi Carol, this is my husband, Jim."
"Ma'am," Jim said as they shook hands.
"How's she doing?"
"Better since she's been here."
"And you?"
"It's been tough. Doctor Wallace told me that the seafood and water are poison. I always thought that he was just a crazy old fool who drank too much."
"Well, that crazy fool is telling the truth. Carol, the water and seafood are contaminated with toxins. We are working on finding out what and who caused it."
"What you're saying is that he has been telling the truth all these months."
"Yes."
"And the monster, what happened to him?"
"He was very sick. He died from a brain bleed caused by his tumor. But the tumors weren't only in his brain; it was in other organs as well."
"There has been so much death."
"I agree. Have you been tested?"
"No, but I've been worried about Ruby. I lost my husband two years ago from cancer; it was in his spleen and liver."
"Sorry for your loss," Jim said
"Thank you."
"I'll talk to the doctors to get you tested."
"Don't worry about me."
"You should not only for Ruby's sake but for your own."
"Thank you."
"We brought some books for you to read, and we have some paper, paints, and crayons for Ruby to draw."
"Thank you."
"Your welcome. Have you had anything to eat?"
"I'll be fine."
"June, we've got to go."
"Ok. We have a meeting to go to. Take care of yourself; if you get sick, you won't be any good to take care of Ruby."
"I will. Thank you for dropping by."
They walked out of the room, and MacGyver spoke to the doctor on the ward before she and Jim left for a meeting with Kate, Mike, and Madeline Cruise.
Three days later, Hammersley left port to take medical supplies to Stroke Island. While on the way, MacGyver enters everything that Childers has sent to her.
"Sir, X, Swain, you will want to take a look at this," MacGyver said.
"What is it?" Mike asked.
"Here are the results from both Childers and what we took." She brought up the map and color chart area from the highest reading to the lowest.
"Is that the whole area?" Swain asked.
"From the readings, yes, but this will give you a rough idea of how big the area we are talking about is." She did some typing, and the map zoomed out, and the results moved then stopped.
"That is over three hundred miles of ocean," Mike remarked.
"Yes, it is, and right in the middle…" she zoomed in then stopped where the blue line is.
"Shipping lane. The ship of interest will be in the lane in half an hour. I want to see what they do from a distance, of course, Sir."
"Alright, but only for five minutes."
"Thank you, Sir." They saw the boat palm oil trader when they reached the shipping lane.
MacGyver was on EOD and zoomed in onto the side of the boat. She started recording what was happening.
"Sir, we've got the bastard. " Everyone looked at her.
"MacGyver…." Mike said, walking over to her and seeing what was being recorded.
"Sir, that is not palm oil that leaked into the ocean."
"No, that looks like gray water."
"Sir, permission to get a sample?"
"Granted."
"Thanks, Sir, we are going to need both RHIBs; one can be a decoy."
"Agreed. X call boarding stations."
"Yes, Sir"
"MacGyver, go and get your sample."
"Yes, Sir," she said, grinning, and then walked off the bridge.
Both RHIBs headed to the boat, one RHIB was busy on one side of the trying to board, but the crew was throwing things at them. The other RHIB got in and got the sample
"We've got the sample, Sir," MacGyver announced.
"That's great."
"We are testing it now… yes, we got them… high concentrate of mercury and arsenic. The readings are off the charts. We are going to keep a sample of this stuff for further testing" MacGyver got what she wanted and passed the box to Halfty to look after.
"Let's go and find out who the owner is." They got poles and hooked the rope ladder up to the side of the ship, then they climbed on board while calling out,
"Australian Navy!" with guns in hand.
Dutchy turned the tap off then helped tie the men up. MacGyver and Kate went up to the bridge
"Australian Navy! Stop this boat right now," MacGyver said.
The pilot pushed the lever forward, but MacGyver went over and pushed him away while she shut down the engines. She turns to see him on the ground. She picked him up and turned him around.
"You and your mates are under arrest for illegal dumping of toxin waste in the water and the murder of hundreds of people."
"We haven't murdered anyone."
"That toxic crap you've been dumping into the ocean over the past six years killed people in neighboring islands and also foreign fishermen and along with contaminating the fish and other sea life. Hundreds of people have died because of what you've been doing." Just then, Two Dads showed up.
"Get him out of here; he makes me sick," MacGyver said as she pushed the captain towards Two Dads. Two Dads took the captain off the bridge.
"Let's see who has hired him to dump this waste into the sea," MacGyver said. They checked everything for the next few minutes and found nothing.
"Damn it, there's got to be something," Macgyver said as she tossed a clipboard onto the counter, causing the pack of cards to scatter onto the floor.
"MacGyver, I know you're frustrated, so am I," Kate said as she picked up the cards.
"I know, X. I just need some things."
"I guess they are too clever, whoever it is," she said as she put the cards on top of the clipboard. MacGyver saw the back of the card. She stepped forward, picked up the cards, looked at the logo, and then smiled.
"Look at what we've got here. Why is a billion-dollar mining industry interested in palm oil?" MacGyver said, smiling as she showed Kate the cards.
"Now, that is an excellent question."
"There's one more thing to check…."
MacGyver walked over to the computer and did some typing. It showed where the ship had been to in the past week. "Well, well, this is interesting, X."
"What is it?"
"Look at where this ship was docked four hours ago. It was there for an hour, enough time to fill two containers with the toxin water. I remember they were mining forty kilometers inland. And guess who was mining there?" Kate picked up a card.
"We've got them."