Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Author's Note: Apologies for the delay. Here is a new chapter.

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Buffer had just farewelled Captain Perry Jenkins of the Lady Bethany and ordered the RHIB Hammersley-bound when the explosion had sounded. He stood up in his seat as the RHIB came to a standstill and Nav looks up at him. 'What on earth was that?'

'I have no idea,' he answers in a concerned tone as he brings his radio to his mouth. 'X Ray 82 this is Papa 82. What was that?'

Hearing no response, and seeing no further evidence of the explosion, he tries again. 'X Ray 82, this is Papa 82. Come in.' What was going on? It wasn't until his fourth try that Buffer finally got through to his XO. 'X, what is going on here?' he asked.

'I don't know yet Buffer,' was the steady response over the line. 'Want us to head over?' he suggested.

'No,' was the response. 'We don't know what we're dealing with yet. Head back to the ship.'

Ordering the RHIB back to the ship, Buffer wonders at what was going on. Was the other RHIB in trouble? Dashing up the ladder, he makes his way to the bridge where he finds Swain trying to raise the other RHIB on the radio. 'Charlie 82 this is Hammersley. Come in.' Buffer grew concerned when the only response was static and turns to the XO who was finishing a phone call on the satellite phone. 'What's going on?' he asked once again as Nav and Spider arrived on the bridge behind him.

'The explosion was near where the other RHIB was,' said the X making her way over. 'We're trying to raise them over the radio, but we can't get through.'

'What's the plan?' asked Buffer. Before the XO was able to respond the radio suddenly crackled to life. He watches as X steps forward and takes the radio that Swain was holding out for her. 'Charlie 82 this is Hammersley. Come in.'

All lean forward and struggle to hear as they catch a few snatches of words surrounded by heavy static. '...flare...in...doc...' As the radio falls back into static, Buffer's thoughts echo Spider's question seconds later. 'What the hell does that mean? Flare. In. Doc?'

After several futher unsuccessful attempts at contact, Buffer silently watches as his XO gives the handset back to Swain, and turns her attention to them. 'Okay...' she said slowly. 'We've got a flare-type explosion, most likely from Dr Avery McDougall, but we're not sure of that. Considering the RHIB hasn't returned yet, and there is no sign of any further explosions, we've got to assume that the explosion was used as a means of assistance as opposed to sabotage. I'm guessing that the doctor wasn't on the beach like planned, and so the team headed inland.'

As X continued to make full sentences from the three words their boss had given him, Buffer looked on bemused. Just how the hell was she doing this? '...looks like the radios are down or they're experiencing some type of interference, so you'll be going blind.' He nodded his head when she turned her attention to him. 'Buffer, you'll be leading a shore party to assist the CO. We don't know what we're facing, so be careful – and armed.'

'Ma'am,' he responded in affirmation as she turned her attentions elsewhere. 'Swain – get geared up. You're going too. Spider, you as well. Nav you'll remain on board. Keep at the radio and see if we can get anything else from them. And Charge...?'

'Yes ma'am?' said Charge, raising his head from his equipment. 'This boat needs to be ready and able to leave in case of a quick exit. I want to be out of here as soon as possible.'

Buffer leaves the bridge behind Spider to head for the RHIB (via the armoury) as Nav reaches for the radio, and X reaches for the phone once again. It was Nav who gave the orders for 'Away seaboat' as they depart. 'X wants you to try and stay in radio contact.'

'We'll try out best,' Buffer responded.

Turning the corner of Tomlasin Bay and when they were out of sight of the Hammersley, Buffer looks down as his radio turns into static. Throwing aside the now useless radio, he gives the orders for everyone to keep an eye out and keep their weapons raised, raising his own as they near the beach. Stepping off, he sends Spider over to the other RHIB as he and Swain take in the deserted beachfront. There was no sign of anyone. 'Spider?' Buffer calls in question.

'Nothing here Buff,' was the response as Spider came back over to him. 'RHIB's not damaged – just deserted.'

'No sign of a struggle anywhere,' added Swain joining them. 'And all I'm getting is static on my radio.'

'Same here,' declared Buffer. 'Alright, we're going to head inland and follow their tracks for as long as we can to see what we can find. With the radios not working, we'll stay in sight of each other, but spread out. Do not do anything without my say so. Understood?'

'Yes sir.'

Following the line of sandy footprints into the trees, Buffer orders Swain left and Spider right as they proceed forward. There is no noise around them, except for the sound of their boots crunching on the undergrowth. There wasn't even a bird making a godforsaken noise somewhere, wondered Buffer. While there had been footprints on the beach, there was nothing to guide them amongst the trees.

Twenty minutes later, Swain makes a discovery. Silently ordering Spider to make his way over, Buffer leads them into the clearing. Before them lay the remains of a campsite: a shelter lay in shattered pieces around the clearing, the fireplace was full of sand and what appeared to be paper lay shredded all around.

As Spider searches the remains of the shelter, Swain bends down and picks up a piece of paper. 'Seems to be some scientific information of sorts Buff,' he said, handing him the scrap. 'Hard to tell as it's all ripped up.' Noting the numbers and diagrams, he turns to Spider at his call. 'What have you got Spide?'

'There's a bag here,' said Spider, holding up said object. 'It's ripped up and got the initials A. M. on it.'

'This must be the doctor's campsite – or what's left of it,' said Buffer, taking the bag from Spider to check it before handing it back. 'Spider, keep the bag with... Hang on. Did you hear that?'

As both Swain and Spider strain their ears, Buffer tries to identify where the noise had come from. There it was again. 'That sounded like a twig breaking,' said Swain in a low voice.

'Are they coming at us?' whispered Spider.

'Not if we don't get to them first,' said Buffer in a hard tone. 'Eyes and ears alert, stay together and follow me.'

They make their way in the direction of the noise as quietly as possible, but any chance of surprise is blown minutes later when Swain steps on a dead branch and it snaps. Knowing the element of surprise has been blown, Buffer orders them forward. He wasn't taking any chances.

The three of them run forward with their guns raised as they push through the foliage toward the sound. 'Australian Navy!' roared Buffer as he leapt out of hiding and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

It takes him a split second to realise that said gun is an Australian Navy gun, and that it was being held by a fellow sailor. 'Bomber?' he asks.

'Buffer?' was the incredulous response. 'What on earth are you doing here?'

Before he can respond, 2 Dads arrives followed closely by the CO and RO assisting a woman between them. Dropping his gun to his side, and taking in the scene before him, Buffer steps forward. 'Everything okay sir?'

After assisting the woman to the ground, the CO turns his attention to Buffer. 'Everything's fine Buffer. This is Dr Avery McDougall,' he said as means of an introduction as she offers him a smile fraught with pain. 'She twisted her ankle and that explosion we all saw was a flare and oil combination she set off to notify us of her wherebouts. She spent overnight out here.'

'Looks like a sprained ankle, boss,' said Swain from his position next to the doctor on the ground as he gingerly felt her ankle and the doctor winced in pain. 'We need to get her back to the ship.'

As RO assisted Swain in helping the doctor to stand once again, Buffer pulls the CO aside. 'Sir, we found her campsite. It's been trashed.'

'Trashed?' was the response as the CO looked at him with a bemused expression. 'Why?'

'Not sure,' said Buffer. 'What do you want to do?' The CO quietly sends RO and 2 Dads to the campsite to collect up everything they can as Buffer takes RO's position in assisting the limping doctor as they make their slow trek down to the beach.

In the middle of the pack, Buffer can hear the conversation of Spider and Bomber behind him. 'How did you know where to find us?' he hears Bomber ask. 'I didn't think we got anything through the static. The boss just kept repeating four words over and over again for a while, then when we got no response from you guys we moved inland.'

'Well, we got three of those words,' was Spider's response. 'The X figured it all out on that. It was freaky to watch – it was like she had ESP with the boss or something...'

Buffer's attention is drawn away from them as Dr Avery McDougall spoke. 'I am so sorry about this,' she said fluttering her eyelashes. 'It's awfully embarrassing, but I had to do what I could to make sure I got your pick up out of the bay.'

'Don't worry ma'am,' he reassures her. 'It's all part of our job.'

They arrive back at the beach thirty minutes later. Buffer assists Dr Avery McDougall in getting into the RHIB as carefully as possible as RO and 2 Dads return to the beach. Swain and Bomber travel with the doctor, as Buffer joins the others in the other RHIB, following close behind.

It had been over an hour since any radio contact with the Hammersley, and so when they left the beach and rounded the corner to come back in sight of the ship, it was to a relieved Nav on the now clear radio. 'Good to see you all,' she greeted, before the XO came onto the line.

Buffer had turned to his CO when the radio crackled back to life, and when the X came on the line, he wondered at the change in his CO's face. There was something fishy going on between the pair of them - especially ever since the Iluka incident. As they pulled up alongside the Hammersley, Buffer pushed his thoughts aside to be considered at a later time.

After he assisted Dr Avery McDougall to the dining room as Swain rushes forward and sends off Bomber for ice, he heads toward the armoury. As he does so, he overhears a conversation between the XO and the CO as she mentions the lack of support from Tomlasin Bay authorities and he shares the information that the doctor's campsite had been trashed.

When Buffer re-enters the dining room half an hour later, having ensured the weapons are locked away, he sees the X talking with the doctor. Making his presence known, he leans against the wall. 'How are you feeling?'

'Nothing drugs and a good night sleep won't cure,' said Dr McDougall with a radiant smile in his direction. Nodding his head, he allows X to pick up the conversation again as she asks about the purpose of the doctor's visit to the bay. 'I was looking into the animal life on Tomlasin Bay. There's a tree-dwelling bug that I've never seen before,' says Dr McDougall in a bright tone.

'A bug?' queried X. 'That is why you were on Tomlasin Bay?'

'Yes,' the doctor responded with a nod. 'I got permission from Gordon Lockyer – he owns that whole side of Tomlasin Bay – to study the bug on his land.'

Buffer had difficulty believing this story, and if the expression on X's face was anything to go by, she was too. This didn't explain the trashed campsite. 'Do you have any idea why the radios weren't working?' probed X.

'Sure,' responded the doctor blithely. 'It was part of Lockyer's security system. He was paranoid about everything.'

Buffer exchanged a glance with X as she pauses a moment than asks her final question. 'We found your campsite trashed and several pieces of paper shredded. Do you know why this might happen?'

'Probably animals,' she said, flapping her hand around as she laughed off the suggestion. 'It's okay, everything I need to know is up here,' she concluded, tapping her head.

Buffer pushes himself off the wall as X stands up soon after. 'Our medic will be back to check on you in a few minutes, and we'll have you back in Cairns soon.'

Following the XO out the door, he moves down the hall a little before he turns to her. 'Animals?' said Buffer with a raised eyebrow. 'The damage we saw was not caused by animals. And besides, I saw no sign of any scientific equipment or the like there.'

'I agree that her story seems to be a little strange, but there is nothing we can do,' said X, running her hand through her hair. 'Tomlasin Bay authorities refuse to go anywhere near Gordon Lockyer's land and we have no jurisdiction. Dr McDougall doesn't appear to have done anything wrong.'

Anymore conversation on this topic was halted by an announcement over the PA. 'Do you hear there? Captain speaking...'

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Next Chapter: Buffer finds out!