Crisis Point
Chapter Three:
HMAS Hammersley
Nav glanced up as Buffer returned to the bridge. She frowned. "I thought you went to get Spider?"
Buffer gave a small smile. "He's… uh… a bit busy at the moment ma'am. He won't be long."
Nav smiled and shook her head. "Again?" She asked.
Over by the controls the ship's CIS Leading Seaman Emma 'Scruffy' Murphy snorted. Buffer glanced between her and the Nav with a smile. "Again ma'am." Scruffy gave into a bout of silent giggles and put her head down on the controls, shaking silently.
"That's what... the fourth time this week?" Nav asked, glancing at the man next to her at the navigation controls. Petty Officer Michael 'Radar' Collins gave her a smile then went back to work.
"The fourth time we know about and, according to Spider's reaction, the first one they know we know about." Buffer returned, glancing at Swain who was sitting in the driver's seat and trying, but failing, to keep a straight face.
"Yeah, cos they aren't making it bloody obvious for us." Said a voice from behind Buffer. Buffer glanced back at ET and gave him a smile. "Any louder and…" He shuddered. Over by the communication controls Scruffy was laughing so hard she nearly fell off her chair.
"Give them a break ET, they're newly-engaged." Nav said, shooting him a look that simply said 'remember when we were like that'. ET understood and gave his own mischievous smile. Slowly they went back to work. Ten minutes later Spider finally appeared at the top of the stairs and glanced at Buffer. He made it to the EOD before someone made a comment.
"You're late Leading Seaman Webb." Buffer said, joining him at the EOD.
Spider opened his mouth to explain but ET flashed a wisecrack over him. "He took longer than anything thought." He grinned. The entire crew burst into laughter but the double entendre was lost on Spider. He gave them all a blank look until Nav shushed them.
"Okay you lot, back to work." She said, glancing at them all. "We'll be back in port in four hours, you can get back to your gutter talk then." She gave a small smile and glanced at Spider. "So, what is for dinner then Spider?"
Spider glanced up as the crew hid smiles. He finally got it. He looked at Buffer. "Buff!" Around him the crew burst out laughing once again.
"Ma'am, we have a contact 10 clicks away." Radar said after dinner, pointing to the screen in front of him.
Nav stood up from the Captain's chair and went to have a closer look. "What is it?"
"Got it ma'am." Able Seaman Corey 'Seagull' Drake said from the EOD. Nav glanced at it. It was a small barge, barely half the length of the Hammersley. It was piled high with supplies, boxes with foreign writing on it.
"Scruffy, raise them on the radio." Nav called back at the CIS.
She nodded. But five minutes later they hadn't heard anything. "Maybe it's just a normal supply vessel ma'am." She suggested.
Nav shook her head. "We would have their number. All legal supply ships are registered, remember?" Scruffy nodded. "Anyway, they would've answered their radios. I don't like this." She glanced at Buffer. "Prep the boarding parties."
Buffer nodded and disappeared from the bridge. Nav glanced back at Radar. "Any idea where they're headed?"
Radar assessed. "Cape Island, what's left of Cape York."
Nav frowned. "Cape Island is uninhabited. Why would they go there?" She glared at the barge. "I really don't like this." She looked back at ET. "Full throttle ET. Let's get up to them."
"Vessel on my starboard beam, this is Australian warship Hammersley. Stop or heave to, I intend to board you." Nav held the radio to her mouth and frowned at the barge. It was dark and already they'd tried to elude them, but the Hammersley was more skilled than they'd expected. They didn't stop after Nav's third call. She glanced back at ET. "External starboard lights. Let's see what we're dealing with." ET nodded and the six large external lights on the right side of the Hammersley flashed on, spilling light over the dark sea between them and the barge. The deck of the barge lit up and the men that had been on it scurried out of sight. Nav frowned. They weren't islanders like she'd expected. She grabbed the radio again, but this time directed it at Buffer and Swain. "Get in there." The sound of the RHIBs being lowered drowned out everything else for a minute, and then she watched them bounce over the short distance towards the barge. In the light she could see anything. She motioned to the lights. "Love these new additions ET."
ET laughed. "Charge's best idea. Wonder how he's doing on the frigate?"
Nav shrugged. "Bored out his mind I imagine." She watched Swain and his team board the side of the ship and head for the bridge. Meanwhile Buffer's small crew started at the stern and worked their way through the deck. Nav eventually lost sight of them between the large boxes. She grabbed the radio. "Sierra 82, this is November 82. Report."
Swain's voice came through. "We're at the bridge now ma'am. Radar's just found the travel log. These men are from Hawaii ma'am."
"Americans?" She frowned. "What are they doing here Swain?"
"They say they have a delivery. Nothing else. They say they don't know what they're carrying."
"Okay, thanks Swain." She glanced at ET who shrugged then tried Buffer. "Bravo 82, report."
Buffer came on the line a second later, puffing. "They're under control ma'am. All bloody cheeky Americans. We're searching the supplies now." There was a voice nearby calling Buffer and Nav heard him move and then he spoke again. "Good work Bomber." His next comment was directed at Nav. "Ma'am, they're carrying guns. They're pretty old school too. I can see come MP-5s and I think that's an AK47. They look second-hand."
Nav's eyes went wide. Gun traffickers? With ships and barges so hard to run, why would someone spend their time shipping guns when most people just wanted fresh food? Unless… "Bring them aboard Buffer, and seize the guns." Buffer agreed and Nav put down the radio. She looked at Scruffy. "Get the Commander on the phone. I think we've just found the evidence she was looking for."