The Turbulent Road Ahead
By: Sigmastar79
A/N: I have found a wonderful Beta in the glorious Miss Sez, to whom I have the greatest respect for. Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on this story. Let me know what you guys think so far For those who are underage, there is nudity in this chapter, so if you are uncomfortable, please skip the conversation between Mike and Kate on the webcam later in the chapter . Thank you.
Chapter 20
Mike had not liked being the one to tell Pete about his new family. The man had almost lost it and Mike had to calm him. To say Pete was livid was an understatement. He wanted to rip Gerald Perkins apart and vowed to torture him if he laid even one fingertip on Christina or the kids. Now he was sitting in his cabin, alone, waiting for Kate to get online. When he saw her get in front of the webcam, he smiled at the sight in front of him.
"There is my beautiful momma. How are you holding up?"
"Been better but we're holding on. I just need to find them Mike. Just the thought of what that man might be doing…"
"We're going to find them Kate, don't worry, it's not good for you or Cat"
"Mike, she's my sister and nephews and nieces. I can't just lie back and do nothing!"
"I know; you're Kate McGregor through and through, and my Katie to boot. I know how you think because we are very much alike, but try to at least relax a bit for me and the baby, OK?"
"I'll relax when she's born and Christina and her children are all back safe and sound. Has RO got the paperwork yet?"
"Yes he is on the bridge with it. Dutchy and Pete are looking over everything. I really need to get up there, but I wanted to check on you first. Steve was worried you were scaring the nurses by going all XO on everyone"
"We will be fine. I have my Dad and your family here with me. Just keep safe and bring our family home"
"I love you Katie, no matter what I love you. Remember that OK?"
"OK. Fair winds Mighty Mike Flynn, and I love you too"
Mike hung his head as he turned off his computer. He knew Kate needed him right now, but he also needed to find her family. Getting up from his seat, Mike made his way to the bridge. He had a lot of work to do.
Kate hung her head in grief as Mike had to disconnect. She needed him there to hold her, but she knew better than anyone that he had a job to do and that he was needed out there more. A tear slipped down her cheek as her father watched quietly from the doorway. He knew she didn't know he was there, but he had to admire her perseverance. Her grandmother would have been proud. Katelyn had grown into a strong and respected woman. She made the McGregor name proud.
Pete was seemingly focused on the job at hand, but his mind was really on Christina and the kids. The jerk had them in his grasps and he had a gut feeling he had been preparing this for a while. He watched Mike come up to the bridge and take over, walking over to RO to look at the list of pleasure crafts and knew he was made even more determined by talking to Kate. To know this couldn't be easy on Kate was something Pete understood. He loved Christina and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but she was Kate's baby sister. There was a blood bond there that Pete knew went deep, even if Kate had been ripped from their father at an early age.
It also helped knowing Kate and Steve were doing all they could on land while they did everything they could at sea. This gave a small measure of comfort to Pete. If he was completely honest with himself, he didn't know what he would do without Christina and the kids, which was weird considering they were still so new. But looking at Mike he knew it was as he once told him several weeks before.
'It's the pull of a McGregor woman, it is just that strong. Once you open your heart to them you are theirs forever. They are the glue that binds us together'
Mike looked at everyone before he spoke. He needed them all together on this one. The Hammersley was a family within themselves. It was time they came together as one.
"OK crew, listen up. This is what we have. Kate has figured out Perkins took Christina and her kids via boat about four hours ago. That gives them a bit of a head start. It's the American's spring break so there is a lot of pleasure craft out there, but they were able to narrow down the list to eight. The HMAS Aztec just knocked two of those yachts off our list; the Morningstar and the Gambler. The HMAS Kingston knocked off the Riding Sun and the Island Lure. That means out of eight boats, we have four boats left. What are the names of the remaining ships Dutchy?"
"Um, we have the Sailor's Dream, the Piece of Mind, the Coral Drifter and, the oh geez really original, the Pirates of the Caribbean"
Everyone laughed at the last ship, until RO pointed at the list of Ships Dutchy had just read from with a weird expression on his face. He was looking at the 'Piece of Mind'. Everyone was shocked when they heard him speak.
"I know that boat! It was always in dock when I visit my brother. It has never been used. See this mark here? It was made when Cyclone Yasi hit a few months back. The owner finally put it up for sale after that. Something about it was his son's boat but he had been killed in the war several years ago. It's the same boat, just a different name"
Mike and Pete shared a look before Pete had to ask.
"RO, do you remember the name of the ship before it was called the Piece of Mind?"
"Yeah" said RO nonchalantly. "It was called 'Irish Eyes'. Why?"
Mike and Pete's mouths dropped and neither could believe their ears or the coincidence of the former boat's name. Mike ran to the SAT phone while Pete clapped Robert on the back.
"For a pain in the ass at times RO, you just saved the day"
""I did?" asked RO. He didn't know what he did that helped, he had just pointed out the boat's name was wrong.
"Yes you did. No one was told this, but Christina's ex husband is Irish. Only the boss and I knew on the ship"
Everyone's eyes widened at the implication to that bit of information while RO just gave a smile.
"Glad I could help Bu… I mean X"
Everyone laughed at RO's near blunder, even Pete.
"Mate no worries, if you want to call me 'Buff' then it's OK by me. Just remember Dutchy is the real Buffer now"
"Yes Sir" said RO and everyone smiled. It was nice to see Robert opening up for once. The man deserved a little praise.
"The coast watch is out looking for the Piece of Mind as we speak" said Mike with a smile. "RO, don't be surprised that Kate and Shamus decide to show you a lot of love if we find them"
RO looked surprised and horrified at the same time. The poor man didn't know how to handle this much attention and praise.
Gerald had heard over the radio that the Navy was looking for his vessel. He smirked at the idea that he had been found out. He looked out into the salon of his yacht to see Christina serving their children the dinner she had insisted on cooking. He had taken the boys fishing off the port bow for the first time this afternoon and both boys had caught themselves a large Red Emperor. The boys had screamed for their mum, scaring poor Christina half to death. He almost laughed at her face when she rounded the side of the boat with the girls in tow and saw the fish the boys were holding up with his help. The look of relief on her face was one only a mother could show when she realized they had only screamed out of excitement and not danger.
Christina had immediately taken the fish and started cleaning them in the galley, much to his chef's disgust, but when the man had tried to argue about his kitchen, Christina gave him the patented McGregor glare and the poor man literally pissed his pants. Gerald did laugh then and when Christina turned the glare on him, he just walked to her with his hands raised and kissed her forehead before saying "don't look at me like that, I know better than to mess with a McGregor woman in the Kitchen. That is like asking for an instant death sentence. You have been my wife for how many years now my feisty Lass?"
He had smirked then and left the kitchen to let her be. Christina apparently had not been in the mood for a loving kiss, but he only thought she was in a fool mood over the chef's attitude problem. She was his feisty lass after all. Pulling his attention back to the problem at hand, he turned to his head of security.
"How long till port Danny"
"We are coming up to it now Mr. Perkins"
"Good. How long till we board the plane and offload everything?"
"Thirty minutes tops Sir, the plane is already filled up and waiting. The men packed the kitchen supplies after your wife cooked dinner. Your clothes are packed and the boys had nothing with them when taken. The girls had their backpacks and bags, but they have them locked up in their safe so they will have to get them themselves. Weapons have already been put away and are ready for transport."
"Good, when we get to dock, have a skeleton crew stay behind to take the boat back to the island under another name. Don't get us caught Danny or it will fall on your doorstep"
"Yes Sir" replied Danny as he went to oversee the boat being docked. Gerald just smiled and readied his excuse for his family. It didn't take long for Christina to call him down for dinner. As he kissed her cheek and sat down, she noticed the boat slowing down.
"What's going on Gerald?"
"The boat needs something fixed on the engine. We are docking at Green Island and getting her fixed. We will be taking my jet to the island. Please Princess, sit and eat. You have cooked a wonderful meal here with the bounty our sons have provided."
Christina served everyone dinner while she and Andrea exchanged looks. They needed a plan.
Mike was searching everywhere he could for the Piece of Mind. He knew Kate and Shamus were counting on him and he wasn't going to let them down if he could help it. He was getting updates every two hours via phone from Shamus about Kate. It seemed Kate was refusing to behave and stay in bed. She was working out of her private hospital room in search for her sister and her sister's children.
He would look at Pete every once in a while and knew the man was just as worried and getting even more edgy. He was dating Christina and he cared for her children. He was planning on asking Shamus for Christina's hand and giving the new baby his name. Just a few weeks ago Pete was the Hammersley 'Mr. Lover' and now he had been caught by the heart by a McGregor girl. Not that he could blame him, he loved the older sister of the two. He knew just how 'attractive' they could be from experience.
The other patrol boats in the area had even checked out the other pleasure craft on the list so they could focus on the Piece of Mind. Every captain in the fleet knew to contact Mike if they sighted the Piece of Mind. It was the fellowship of the sea, it was one of their own families out there in danger and they were determined to find them.
Gerald smiled as he watched the rest of the things being packed up onto the ute before it drove off. The only thing the girls were carrying was their bags and backpacks which they used to play games with their brothers. Climbing into the waiting limo, they headed off to the plane awaiting them. They would be home within the hour.
Unbeknownst to her father or his crew, Andrea had left a big lipstick stain heart on the children's bathroom mirror. It said quite clearly.
'Andrea McGregor was here, heading off to the airport at Green Island. Flew the rest of the way to dad's private house on another island'
Mike was getting frustrated. The Kingston said they had received word that Piece of Mind was currently docked at Green Island. They were currently 30 minutes from the island and had thanked Spicy Donger for the info. Now he waited with baited breath as Pete, Dutchy, Polo (Ryan) and 2Dads searched the empty vessel. When he had learned that they had in fact been on the vessel, he became mad at himself. If they had been there 30 minutes earlier, they would have had them. Now they were back to step one. That was until 2Dads found the little note on the mirror.
"Sir, looks like the oldest left us a message. Says they took a plane from this island to another island where her Dad's private home is"
"Good work leader, show the X"
"Yes sir"
Shamus was checking his voicemails when he found he had one form Telstra. When he tried to call the company back to get the message, no one could retrieve the information, and he was currently on hold. The last thing someone wanted to do was put Shamus McGregor on hold when he was agitated. Someone was going to pay big time. His daughters had got their tempers from their Dad!
Kate was on the phone with Mike getting an update. Learning that they had abandoned the boat made her heart sank, but the prospect that they had gone to one of the private air strips on the island helped a lot. The AFP was currently on their way there to find out which one. They almost had them. Imagine her surprise when she heard her father yelp out in joy.
Shamus was starting to get more and more aggravated, until and operator got back on the phone. When he heard the important message, he yelped out in joy, scaring poor Kate and gaining weird looks from Joe, Catherine and Frances. He had forgotten all about those!
"Kate, you said you had word from Mike?"
"Yeah, they found the boat but it was abandoned. Andrea left us a note that they were finishing the trip by air. Why?"
"Because we have a new lead, I forgot all about it! I got the girls new phones for Christmas"
"Yes Dad, I know" said Kate a tad bit exasperated. She thought the poor man had finally lost it due to the stress of everything. "You got the girls new cell phones and Christina and I new laptops. Why is that important?" Kate said while on the phone with Mike. She didn't miss the chuckle from the other end of the line.
"Is your Dad ok or has he lost it?"
"I think the second" replied Kate as she shook her head. "Dad, what are you talking about?"
"The trackers Katie, the trackers! I had tracking devices put on the girls' phone and you and your sister's laptops! I did it as a security issue. With Christina going out of country on business so much lately and you are always at sea, if something happened I would know if you girls needed help by activating the trackers! The same if someone tried to grab the girls! I didn't do anything for the boys because they were too young to carry anything yet!"
It took a moment before everything started to sink in. When it did, Kate smiled. She had also forgotten about the trackers. At the moment she could have squeezed the man thanked him for his over protectiveness that they had all complained about not too long ago.
"Mike hold on, I know what Dad is talking about now."
"OK Beautiful" said Mike confused. He wished someone would fill him in! He hated being out of the loop!
"Dad, are you saying the girls' trackers have been activated?"
"Yes, have been since they were taken! Telstra are just now contacting now, the bastards!"
"Hand me that phone, I got them"
Shamus smiled as he handed the phone to Kate to let her rip into the representative on the other line while he explained what was going on to Mike on Kate's phone. It seemed his daughter also knew some words that made sailors themselves blush. Before he knew it, Kate had the coordinates and had them on hold for the AFP to interrogate. He laughed as he heard Kate yell at Mike to get online she had the needed information.
"Better get online me boy, she's on a roll this one!" Shamus laughed.
"I know it Mr. McGregor, but I wouldn't want her any other way" Mike said and almost swore he could hear the other man smile.
"I bet, and call me Dad, son; you're with my girl for good now right""
"Yes Sir"
"Then Dad is fine"
Mike smiled as he grabbed his laptop and turned it on. Seeing Kate looking over maps again made him smile. He should have known she would be working again with the new information. She was a hard worker and task master; she wasn't going to stop it with herself, especially since it was her family at stake.
"You know you are suppose to be resting"
"You know they are still out there, here are the coordinates"
Mike sighed as he took the requested information and started again.
"Kate"
"Mike, she's my sister and those are her kids. You would be doing the same thing if it was one of your siblings. Don't ask me to be different just because we weren't raised together"
Mike had to stop for a moment and realised she was actually right, as usual. If it was one of the Flynn siblings, he would probably be worse than Kate was actually. He would move heaven and earth for his family, and for Kate and their baby. She was doing the same thing, just being a lot more calm and clear headed about the situation.
"You're right of course, but I still worry"
Kate turned to look at the screen that showed Mike and smiled seeing his smile. It was just then he realized what she was wearing his shirt he had left behind. It was big in the shoulders and sleeves, but it looked perfect on her still.
"Lieutenant McGregor, I believe you have on the wrong shirt"
"I do? Well, I found it in MY closet, not to mention I will be a Flynn soon enough, or did you not get the memo"
"What memo?" asked Mike with a large smile. This was his Kate.
"The one where I got pregnant and then accepted the marriage proposal from the biggest cowboy in the RAN. You might know him actually; clean cut, shaven, going slightly grey on top type, but very sexy"
Mike laughed at Kate as she used his own words against him. Yet he knew how to get her in her place.
"Alright then Lieutenant Katelyn Flynn, what have you found then? Especially since you're not only an experienced XO, but a skilled Navigator?"
"Well Commander Michael Flynn" Kate said with a smile and not missing a beat; "According to the map, there are a few places he could have gone, but with the new information from the tracker, I can't track them until they stay stationary. When that happens, we will have a definite location and we can run up and rescue them"
"Explain"
"Perkins likes to make himself out to be a big and bad. Earlier on today, I got info he somehow was able to retrieve money from of his frozen Swiss bank accounts."
"So you think he bought a new house on one of the islands?"
"Yes I do Sir" said Kate as she purred the 'Sir' part making Mike visibly shiver. Forgetting that her father and his family was in the room, Kate turned on the sweetness as she slowly undid the snaps on the shirt, opening the said shirt he had spoken of.
"I think we should pull recent transactions made by cash if we can. We also need to look at someone who might be renting a very large house instead of owning one on one of the islands. Either way, he is going to want to show off a bit. From there we will know what we are dealing with when it comes to his security"
As Kate said this, she finished removing the shirt, showing her in noting but her silk night pants and her new black lace bra, while fanning herself. Mike had edged to the edge of his seat to get a better look. He was already sexually frustrated, and Kate wasn't helping matters. He swore she was trying to get him hot and bothered so he would ravish her when he got back.
"Furthermore Sir, we need to look at either Christina or one of the girls finding another method of contact. They aren't going to sit idly by and wait, they are going to find a way to communicate with us"
"Kate" Mike growled. He was about to lose his composure and if he did, we was going to need a change of pants.
"Yes Commander Flynn?" Kate asked innocently. She wasn't stupid; she knew what she was doing to him.
"If you don't want me making you pregnant again the moment our daughter is born than I respectfully ask you to put on a shirt. A man can only take so much"
Kate's reaction was to remove the black bra and then place his shirt back over her shoulders leaving the shirt open. Her breasts had grown due to Catherine and she was proud of her enlarged self. Raising an eyebrow to Mike, she had to stop herself from smiling as she noticed him wiggle in his chair a bit.
Mike on the other hand needed a cold shower and to take care of something else. Kate might be the love of his life, but she knew how to turn him on. But then again, that was how they ended up with Catherine.
Shamus shook his head and left the room with a snickering Frances. Joe and Catherine had left the room before the show to get something to eat knowing it was going to be a long day. That was something that they didn't need to see. That and a father should never see his daughter seduce another man, it was just wrong. Knowing he was going to have to have a talk with her later, he chuckled to himself. His daughter and son in-law to be were so entangled with themselves; they had forgotten he was in the room along with her sister in law. He shook his head at that, maybe she was like him on that aspect after all.
Gerald helped his family off the plane and into the awaiting car to take them to their new home. They had arrived an hour after leaving Green Island, but they were all so tired that they all went straight to bed. Andrea and Sarah were so sleepy, they almost forgot their bags on the plane as they helped their brothers down the stairs. Putting them on their backs, Andrea and Sarah carried the boys in the new house and to the rooms that held their names.
Christina vowed to find a way out of this mess as Gerald had forced himself on her again on the plane. Entering the new estate, she watched as her daughters put her sons and themselves to bed as Gerald took her to their room. To her dismay, Gerald stripped naked and then pulled back the sheets, calling her to bed. As she went to undress to go to bed, she was not given the chance to put on night clothes as he retrieved her and took her to bed just as naked as he was. He wrapped his arm around her and fell straight asleep. Christina fell asleep pretending the man next to her was Peter and not her monster of an ex husband.
The next morning was a bushel of activity. Tutors for the children arrived as did a new doctor to come and check out Christina. Guards were brought in and some were replaced. In the front foyer, people were coming in to work with Gerald on business. Andrea took the opportunity to run to her room and grab her bag. Checking her phone and finding it dead, she quickly hid it under her bed while plugging it up to charge. Making sure the phone was on silent so it wouldn't make a sound; she also faced it down so no one could see the light coming from the screen. She wasn't taking any chances of her father finding it and giving him any reason to distrust her or their chances were as good as shot.
Walking out of her room, she quickly finds her sister and pulls her aside. To anyone watching, it looked like two sisters sharing secrets. Sarah quickly went to her room with Andrea not far behind to copy the actions her sister had just preformed. Seeing the security office open on the way out, Andrea stood watch as Sarah snatched two radios. Both girls turned them off and made sure they had ones that were fully charged before hiding one in each of their rooms. Walking back to find their brothers, both sisters smiled. They were going to get their family out of here.
Two days. Her sister and her children had been gone two days and still there was no sound from them. Kate was sure Christina or the girls would have found a way to communicate by now, but had to remind herself that if they did, they would need to be somewhere safe to do so. But Kate also knew the longer it took to find them, the harder it was going to be to rescue them. Not to mention the whole situation had raised her blood pressure and stress levels. Her father had finally been told to go and rest at Mike and Kate's new place by Catherine and Joseph, and she was grateful for that. Her father wasn't young by any standard, heck she was 36. That made him 56. The last thing Kate needed was for her father to drop dead of a heart attack. She never noticed the male nurse come in and check over her file, taking a picture and video of it. He had just finished when she turned around and got a scare.
"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Can I help you Sir?"
"You should be resting"
"I'll rest when my family is safe"
The man chuckled and then noticed the shirt she was wearing.
"Interesting shirt young lady, if I may say so. I thought your last name was McGregor, not Flynn"
Kate looked down and saw she was still wearing Mike's shirt from the day before and giggled. She could understand the nurse's confusion.
"Not my shirt, it belongs to my fiancée; Mike Flynn. I can't fit into my own anymore and he feels better when I wear his. If I'm honest, it makes me feel better too"
"Understandable miss, but I must insist you get back into bed and rest. I'll move your laptop closer to you OK?"
After finishing with Kate, Larry left the room to inform Maxine of the newest development. He knew she was not going to be happy knowing Kate and Mike were now engaged. As he hid in the nearest bathroom to call her, he dreaded hearing from the woman who he know was about to be screaming in his ear. Maxine White was not a nice woman when pissed off.