Chapter 26 A Lonely Lead
Kate sat on the bridge still in shock, they had found a body, a body that provided no leads. Hammersley sliced through the water still searching, a chance they might find something, a chance they might find someone. All these thoughts racing in Kate's mind and heart, a million thoughts trapped.
Mike walked up onto the bridge, looking over at Kate her blank face just staring out onto the sea, he walked over to charge tapping him on the arm.
"How long has she been like that?" asked Mike, returning his gaze to Kate.
"Since you left her up here, so about and hour Sir" replied Charge he too now looking over at Kate. Mike couldn't stand it anymore bringing her out of her head.
"Kate are you ok, your very quiet" asked Mike placing his hand on hers.
"Huh?, oh sorry I was just thinking" replied Kate, squeezing his hand. Mike giving her the look.
"Honestly I'm fine now stop giving me that look" replied Kate, turning and continuing to stare out to sea. Her watch finally came to end, and she was starving, the smell of Bomber's cooking was slowly creeping up onto the bridge, it was irresistible. Kate and Charge walked down to the galley and Bomber was in an extremely happy mood tonight, which would be because her prank on 2Dads had worked, he knew he could win when he went to Swain.
A few weeks earlier 2Dads walked into his cabin pulling out his computer placing his hand on the lid, its was fast becoming stuck when he placed his other hand on the keys, not knowing Bomber had paid him a visit earlier on that night, he walked into Swain his hands super glued to his computer, Swain finding it highly amusing as he slowly removed 2Dads hands from the computer, at the moment 2Dads knew there was no chance in hell he was going to be able to get Bomber back, he could win.
Kate grabbed her dinner and sat down in the mess, and finally she could get some peace and quiet, until Mike stepped in.
"Mike not now please I just want to be alone" said Kate as she tried not to look at Mike.
"Look I understand how you feel" replied Mike, as he sat down beside her, brushing the stay hair off her face.
"Do you, do you know how I feel Mike, just as we find something it leads us no where, how are we able to find these people if we cant find anything of them" asked Kate frustrated, leaning her head back as it rested on the wall, Mike took hold of Kate's hand.
"Look we are going to find them Kate, and I promise you I will give them hell when we do now I have to speak to the master of the colour purple, now would you like to join me" replied Mike putting his hand out.
"No thanks I'm just going to go up on deck I need some air" replied Kate, brushing past him.
Kate stood at the stern of the ship and for once she had found a quiet place, and out of sight from the bridge, Hearing footsteps behind her she wasn't so alone anymore. Kate turned and to no surprise it was Mike.
"So this is your new hiding place" said Mike with a hint of laughter in his voice.
"Well its not a hiding place anymore" replied Kate as she walked up to him.
"Come here" replied Mike embracing her they sat down on the deck in silence, the sound of the engines and turning water was all they could hear.
Nav stood at her radar looking down at it, her eyes hadn't left it once in the past hour and they weren't leaving it any time soon, and yet still no contacts appeared on radar, every ones hopes of finding the missing backpackers were slowly decreasing by the hour.
Kate and Mike were still sitting on the deck an hour later but not together.
"Mike you aren't going to cut me out of this I need to find this little girl, that's my top priority at the moment" said Kate her voice was getting louder and louder by the second and it was at this stage were Mike had to choose every word carefully.
" Kate you know why I don't want you involved, the people who have taken the backpackers are most likely dangerous, I don't want to see you get hurt" replied Mike, as he slowly was making his way over to Kate, " I know that little girl in the photo cant be more than a year older than Alexia but you have to put those feelings aside Kate you know what can happen when your judgement is over clouded by emotion" added Mike, who was now standing beside Kate, shoulder to shoulder.
"How cant I let my emotions in on this one Mike, I look at Alexia and I see that little girl" replied Kate, " I hear the laughter of Alexia and that makes me think of the little girl, I have to find her, I have to" added Kate. She was now pacing around the back of the ship, trying desperately to get her mind onto something different, but in the end her mind kept on coming back to one particular subject.
"I know Kate I want to find her as well but you know the process" replied Mike.
"I know Mike, but we have almost reached the end of the search area, if they were here we would have found them by now, even coastguard should have picked something up by now, and you know that" replied Kate, walking off down to the stem of the ship in full view of the bridge but right now Kate didn't care.
Kate looked up at the bridge to see Nav looking down at her.
"Are you ok" mouthed Nav.
"I'm fine" replied Kate seeing Nav give her the thumbs up, Kate turned to see Mike standing in front of her once again, but saying nothing Mike walked up to her pulling her in, embracing her, no words were said, the silence was doing all the work.
Kate looked up into Mike's eyes, when she happened to glance at the bridge when Nav walked out.
"Sir, X, we have a radar contact" yelled Nav, Kate and Mike looking at each other the sadness on her face was fast disappearing, as Kate bolted up onto the bridge, yelling as she ran up the stairs.
"have you got it on EOD Nav" asked Kate, she was almost out of breath after sprinting through the ship.
"yes, it is 20 nautical miles east of our current position, we should be there in under two hours Sir" replied Nav while she was busy at work.
"I want to be on that ship" said Kate, staring into Mike's eyes but it wasn't going to work this time.
"No I'm not letting you on that ship you are on restricted duties, remember" replied Mike he listened to Kate sigh before he placed his hands on her shoulders, " you can sigh all you want I'm not letting you on that ship" added Mike.
"well it usually works" replied Kate with a hint of a laugh she sat down in Mike's chair, while he stood beside her.
As the final minutes ticked by Kate's hopes grew larger and larger, she knew that there was a chance of finding the girl and the backpackers, but with every minute they wasted there chances were lowered.
Mike and Buffer each lead a team onto the boat and so far so good, separating they spread out looking for any sign of life as they made there way through the ship, So far they had only searched a quarter of the ship only coming across 5 people all belonging to the ship. Mike and Swain walked down a small corridor the smell was disgusting as it grew stronger and stronger as the walked further and further down the corridor, something wasn't right.
Mike and Swain finally reached the end of the corridor, standing in front of a hatch.
"Ok open it I'll lead you follow" said Mike as they got into position.
"Go!" replied Swain, as the hatch flew over, guns raised they saw the eyes of innocent and scared backpackers, lowering there guns Mike radioed back to Hammersley.
"Hammersley this is bravo 82 over" said Mike.
"this is Hammersley go ahead over" replied Kate, her hopes were high when she heard Mike's voice.
"We have found the backpackers, but we do not have the little girl, I repeat, we do not have the little girl over" replied Mike, as he hung his head, this was not the news Kate needed right now.
"Ok, get them ready and bring them on board over" replied Kate, she handed Nav the ship and headed down onto the deck.
Mike and Swain arrived back at the ship to see Kate waiting for them, Swain leading the backpackers down to austere leaving Mike and Kate on deck.
"Are you sure she's not on the ship" asked Kate.
"We haven't found her but Buffer, 2Dads, Bomber and Spider are still looking but we did find five of the crew so that's something" replied Mike as he stepped back on board the Rhib.
"I'll be back soon I'll go help Buffer and hopefully we will find her" added Mike as the Rhib headed back to the ship.
"Hopefully we will find her" muttered Kate as she walked back up onto the bridge.
Kate returned her gaze to the ship that floated before them, Hoping and waiting they would find her. Twenty minutes had past and still they had found nothing and yet they were searching the final part of the boat when they opened the final hatch. There before their eyes stood the little girl, scared and alone hugging a teddy.
"Kate we've found her over" said Mike, everyone on the bridge sighing in relief.
"That's excellent get her back to the ship, I'll inform Navcom that we have the remaining backpackers over" replied Kate breathing a sigh of relief she could now put her mind at ease.
Kate watched on as the little girl stepped onto Hammersley her mother was waiting for her, a single tear ran down Kate's face, a happy tear. Mike looked upon the bridge to see Kate staring down mouthing the words "Thank you", he nodded in reply as he ushered them down to austere were Swain was.
Nav plotted a course for home, Hammersley had some well earned shore leave ahead, and Kate finally had the chance to spend some well earned time with her family.