Back for a fourth chapter. I think I might have left you hanging with the last one. And, in an effort to make Raffy more likeable, I thought that I'd mention that if this were an actual episode (albeit a movie length one), and I had to cast the role of Raffy to someone, I will tell you all that I'd choose the Burmese-Australian actor/model, Marc Nelson. Go and google him if you don't recognise the name (which you probably don't). To the women out there, he should definitely be more likeable, but he looks a lot like the character I'm trying to portray.
Enjoy and please review.
Chapter Four
Kate's heart almost plummeted through the floor when she heard of Raffy's discovery. It was going to be one of those missions. They hadn't begun to question the crew about the body yet—they had been too busy—and now they would need to bring up this weapon in the interrogation. Charge had taken the second RHIB across and Kate had ordered the remaining members of the ship to bring her alongside the cruise carefully. The safe and secure transportation of the explosive ordnance had to be their top priority. The crew from the vessel were moved back on to the Hammersley and down to Austere before they attempted to transfer the weapon.
"Fulān and his men are secured in Austere, ma'am," Sharkey alerted her.
"Fulān?"
"It's what the captain is calling himself. According to the X, it means John Doe."
Kate just nodded, her eyes firmly focused on the movement of the weapon. It was in the second RHIB now. Raffy was standing guard over it very closely. She moved to the lower level and met them on the boat deck. They heaved the weapon out of the water before the crane touched the RHIB.
"What is it exactly, X?" Kate asked pertinently.
"Some sort of thermobaric explosive, ma'am." He knelt next to it and inspected the case closely, utilising the favourable glare of the sunlight that wouldn't be around for long. The weather had changed and the gathering storm had not hit, but there was another on its way.
"Thermobaric?"
"Also known as a 'fuel-air bomb.' Similar to more conventional explosives, it utilises an exothermic reaction, or reactions in this case, with a mixture of fuel and an oxidant. Only difference here is it relies on oxygen in the air to act as the agent. It packs a bigger punch."
There was no good news coming from Raffy. Kate's expression was growing grimmer by the moment. "Military or home made?"
"We won't know until it can be inspected more safely," he answered. "I do know that it's not wired to detonate, but I don't want to remove the air-locks to find out exactly what we're dealing with."
"No, don't."
"Most governments have a weapon similar to this," Raffy continued. "It's been reported that the Brits are using them in Afghanistan. The Americans have one based on a similar principle called the Massive Ordnance Air Blast or MOAB. It's nicknamed the M-"
"Mother of all Bombs." Kate cut him off with a grave statement. "Let's get it below."
She returned to her cabin and relayed everything she'd learnt back to Mike at NAVCOM. He shared her concern, she could hear it in his voice, and immediately brought Commander White into the fold.
"Kate, how far away are you?" Maxine asked as soon as the situation had been explained.
"Two hours steaming."
"And the weapon?"
"As secure as we can make it. Lieutenant Rodrigues is receiving advice from an Army ordnance technician as we speak and Leading Seaman Kosov-Meyer is guarding it carefully."
"Right, the Army is going to meet you as soon as you dock," Mike explained further. "This is a matter of some priority so we'll be handing it over to them."
"I understand," Kate replied without protest.
"The Feds will take custody of the crew at that time as well as the boat," Maxine put in. "We'll see you soon."
Kate hung up and wiped the sweat from her forehead. It had been a stressful day, but she couldn't linger in her cabin when work had to be done. The bridge was waiting for her, but first she wanted to check in with her XO. The room where they were storing the bomb was empty save for 2Dads, who had been tasked with keeping it under lock-and-key.
"Where's the X?" she asked immediately.
"Phone call, ma'am. He left in the direction of the boat deck."
She nodded and made her way out of the room speedily. She had told him to remain with the weapon since he was the only one onboard that seemed to know anything about it. He was standing against the railing of the boat deck alone. And he wasn't on the phone.
"I thought you were to remain with the explosive?" Kate questioned as she walked beside him.
"Nothing more I can do, ma'am," he replied earnestly. "It's safe in that container. We need to wait until we get back to port."
She nodded. "We're handing it over to the Army when we arrive."
"I suspected as much. The government will want it dealt with quickly."
"And we're handing the crew and boat over to the Feds at the same time."
He snorted unintentionally and explained himself when he saw the acrimonious look on his CO's face. "Sorry, ma'am, but when something like this is found just miles off the Australian coastline, it's not the cops that will conduct the 'interrogation'."
And it was apparent to her that he was using the word 'interrogation' lightly. But she didn't press it. "A successful boarding today, X. I was impressed."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"I'm not sure why you took it upon yourself to jump the deck first, though. Dutchy normally assumes that role."
"My apologies to Dutchy then, but I prefer to take a hands-on approach to these boardings. They can go wrong in an instant."
"I know. I used to enjoy your position, Raffy. But it's also Dutchy's role to watch your back. He can't do that when you're launching yourself into danger ahead of him."
"I can handle myself."
Kate just nodded. Raffy Rodrigues was not nearly as hard to crack as her buffer had been, but he sure was infuriating her. She wanted to know exactly where he came from and what kind of man he was. At the moment, all she knew saw was ambiguity and secrets. And not the same type of Dutchy's.
"You were born in East Timor." It wasn't a question. She already knew his place of birth—it was one of the things on his file.
"Yes. My finally emigrated here when I was three."
"Mm... My mother and I emigrated to Australia from England when I was a child."
He knew what it was coming. His file. He could just smile and nod. Or do nothing. He chose the latter.
"Where did you study at?" Again, she knew the answer, but inconsequential questions like these would eventually open the flood gates.
"USyd," he answered with a smile. "I was one of six cadets in my course that didn't hail from ADFA."
"You didn't want to study there?"
He chuckled lightly at her. "Ah... you're an ADFA grad and you can't understand it."
"It's not like you had anything else in mind. You graduated in 2003 and went straight to Jervis Bay. You didn't stop for anything else."
"And I got to study in Yogyakarta as part of an exchange program. And I worked for a time at the Lowy Institute for International Policy. I know you know this already, but that should explain my reasoning."
"Opportunities you wouldn't have had at ADFA," Kate realised.
"I see you've read my file. I'm guessing you want to know more about my naval history."
Kate threw her arms out in frustration. "There are holes the size of Jupiter in it. Why do I feel like I've been given a censored version?"
"Because you have," he replied simply. "You don't have the security clearance to view the rest of it."
She stared at him. "You're an intelligence officer."
"No." His response was honest but Kate was too wary to trust him. "I was supposed to be a PWO specialising in Above Water Warfare."
"It's recorded that you are."
"Until my training was cut short."
For the first time, Kate actually felt a pang of sympathy for her fellow officer. Freedom wasn't exactly a luxury they had and, this being the navy, they went where they were sent and learned to like it. "You were shafted into intelligence work."
"When the brass learnt of my extensive language skills and in-country experience. Oh, and let's not forget the colour of my skin. I'm able to submerge myself into a culture more effectively than my white counterparts."
She wanted to say something like 'I'm sure it had nothing to do with it,' but she was very sure that it did. There was no use lying. And in their environment, sometimes the brass didn't have time to deal in political correctness. Everything Raffy had mentioned about himself had made him an asset to Defence.
"Don't get me wrong, ma'am," he added quickly when he saw her expression, "I really want to be here. I know that I'm your third XO in a month and I'd really prefer not to become just another figure."
"I haven't expressed displeasure, Lieutenant."
"To be honest, I wasn't actually sure how long I'd last out there. Let's just say that the life expectancy of a patrol boat Executive Officer is so much higher."
Kate smiled at him. At least that was a plus in his favour—eagerness. "So are you ever going to tell me who you contacted about the body?"