Chapter 12 Ambush
Woody Island, Hammersley team
A few minutes later, a RHIB was launched and reached the beach. They had chosen to land far from the small jetty. They split up into two teams that had to climb to the summit where the lab was. One team was led by the XO with Bird, RO and the constable., the other team was led by Dutchy with 2Dads, Harpie and the sergeant. They fixed the RHIB so that it couldn't drift away.
The XO switched on his radio."Alpha-82 to Papa-82. XO speaking. We arrived at the beach to the north of the jetty. Team Alpha and team Bravo starting their way to the top."
"Papa-82 to Alpha-82, roger that. We will go after the Coral Sea," Nikki replied.
"Understood," Wilkinson replied.
"Ok, Dutchy, you go with the Bravo team 300-metres more to the north. There's a small path where you can go upwards. That path ends on the other side of the plateau where the main dirt road to the larger jetty starts. We will follow a track parallel to the small dirt road from the jetty. Gun fire only when necessary," the XO instructed.
"Does someone have a bag for the coconuts?" 2Dads could not resist the joke at the XO's expense. The rumours about his incompetence had spread throughout the ship as fast as a raging fire.
"I'll think you burped and you forgot to apologize," the XO sizzled.
At the same time Dutchy poked him in his upper arm, whispering "Idiot, you're playing with fire."
"Right, let's go," the XO instructed.
Rebecca
She moored the Southern Star in front of the Southern Cross, because the latter was moored at the far end of the jetty. She took the backpack that was filled with the primary medical supplies, water, biscuits and a torch. The belt with the gun was attached around her hips. She entered Kate's boat and in the early dawn light she couldn't detect any signs of a fight.
No, nothing. The boat is abandoned. No signs of violence.
She continued to the edge of the wood and entered.
Oops, still dark here with this canopy.
She took the Webley in her hand and continued carefully, but after a few meters she stumbled over the coolbox that was left by Kate and Maxine. The kick against the plastic box and her fall, produced an awful noise.
Damn! Which idiot leaves rubbish in the middle of the road? There goes my cover. Shit, that's Kate's box.
She opened it to inspect the content.
Hmm , I can't see much, but it's not empty.
She stood up and did a few steps until she heard a voice behind her. "What's up missy? A nice walk at dawn?"
She froze, her hand firmly gripped on the Webley. She felt more than she heard that the man came nearer and then she swung to the right with an outstretched arm, gun in hand. The heavy barrel hit the mouth of the man who let a scream followed by a big curse. Instantly she hopped into the bushes.
"Damn bitch! You'll pay for that," he growled, and aimed his Kalashnikov at the spot where he thought she disappeared and opened fire. Luckily she wore olive green clothes and was almost invisible in the dark of the wood.
The Hammersley teams
The burst of fire was heard and Dutchy froze, concentrating on the direction from where it came from."Damn, that's an AK47. Right, we are again smack bang in the middle of it, just with some Brownings and one Steyr rifle!"
"Yeah, and a couple of coconuts, supplied by our X," 2Dads grinned.
"Did you know about that?" Harpie asked angrily as he took the sergeant by his collar.
"Uh, I might have expected it."
"You asshole! You could have said something! Man, if this turns bad, I'm gonna punch the crap out of you." 2Dads added.
"Easy boys. Not now," Dutchy replied."Bravo-82 to Alpha-82. All ok?" he asked.
"Alpha-82 to Bravo-82. Ok here, but it was close by," the X whispered in the microphone.
"Did you know anything about heavy weapons?" he growled at the constable.
"Not really," he answered.
"I don't believe you, but it's now too late," the X snapped back.
"Alpha-82 to , that burst of fire alerted those drug guys, for sure. Speed up, they know we're coming," the XO said. "Come on team, move!"
Another burst of fire was heard. Automatically the men of the Alpha team hid.
"Ok, guys. We have to get up the hill quick. Orders from the X," Dutchy ordered.
"Damn, gun shots again. Who the hell is firing?" Harpie wondered.
"Probably whoever was in one of Kate's boats that approached the island just before us. I hope, for God's sake, it's not Kate," Dutchy answered while they followed the narrow path.
"Hey Dutchy, do I sense something more than general concern ?" 2Dads said with a grin.
"Shut up and concentrate on your job. Enemies could be anywhere," he said firmly.
"Yeah, yeah, something is going on. I can just feel it," 2Dads chuckled.
Somewhat later, they heard a loud single shot and no more fire bursts. "Wow, they got him with one single shot?" 2Dads said.
"A heavy one. With what did they fire? A canon or something?" Harpie added.
"Can we move on?" the sergeant of the Feds insisted.
"Team A had a head start on us. We can't fly!" Dutchy replied irritated.
Rebecca
Rebecca sat between the bushes looking at the gunman who was wandering through the undergrowth to find her.
Damn, each time I move he hears me and fires. Every minute, it's becoming lighter and lighter, and then I won't be able to hide myself anymore, and then it's all over.
I have to take him out, no other way. Come on Becca, you were always one of the best with a gun. You cannot miss him.
The moment he turned his back to her, she stood up. The noise made him turn towards her and at that moment, she fired the heavy Webley. The man tumbled backwards like a bag of meal.
Pfew, that was close. Now I have to get up the hill, I've already lost too much time.
After she worked herself out of the undergrowth, she heard fire bursts coming from the top of the hill.
What the hell is going on ? Great, one gun against machine guns! Becca what were you thinking? Do you really think you're Arnold Schwarzenegger?
XO's team
The XO's team reached the plateau first, and could see from the edge of the forest the few containers of the lab.
"Alpha-82 to Bravo-82. That gun fight, was that you?" the XO asked.
"Bravo-82 to Apha-82;negative," Dutchy replied.
"We reached the lab and will enter it now. We see some smoke. Over," the XO announced.
"Roger that."
"Each take a side, look carefully in those windows and watch each other's backs." The others nodded. "Ok, let's go."
They ran towards the containers. Wilkinson reached one of the containers first. He laid his left hand on the door-latch, holding his Browning in his other hand. RO stood on the other side of the door and glanced through the window.
"Sir, people inside," he whispered. He took another glance inside. "It's Commander White, Kate McGregor and a kid."
"Ok, be careful. Cover me, we'll go inside."
Stretching, he opened the door and bent to allow RO to aim his rifle. Nobody. They saw a corridor with a few other doors. Bird and the constable covered them outside. The XO tried the door of the room with the women, but that was locked. He made a sign to RO who smashed the lock with the butt of the rifle and kicked the door open. Kate and Maxine were startled for a few seconds by the unexpected sound and the little girl clung to her mother. Both men entered.
"Commander, ma'am, come with me; let's get away from here," he said without asking why they were there. He guided them outside, while RO looked in the corridor to cover them. Outside he instructed with a soft voice. "Back to the forest edge."
The XO started to walk back to the woods, himself first, with the constable following on just after him. Bird was the last of the small group. All of sudden, a guy with a Kalashnikov came from behind the container and fired upon the team. The round of fire hit the XO and the constable who were instantly dead. Maxine, who came after them, was hit in the right upper corner of the chest and fell. Kate instinctively grabbed Stephanie and dove to the ground. RO took a hit to the left arm, but not before he had chance to fire at the gunman and take him out. Bird, who was covering them from behind, turned and stopped. She looked paralysed on at the massacre that had just occurred.
RO managed to make it over to the gunman and saw that he was dead.
"Bird! The victims!" he yelled to bring her back to reality. Then he bent to check the XO and the constable, but only dead eyes stared back.
"How are they?" Kate shouted.
"Dead, ma'am," RO replied.
Bird pulled herself back together and checked Maxine who was still alive. "Commander White is wounded," Bird responded to Kate.
"Take her to the forest!" Kate ordered and she took Stephanie up her arm.
"Give me a hand," Bird shouted at RO.
He swung the Steyr rifle over his good shoulder and both dragged Maxine to the forest. They put her down when they were about thirty meters into the forest on the path were they came from. Bird took off her backpack to check Maxine's wound only to find she had lost consciousness.
Then Kate noticed RO's bleeding arm that hung loose next to his body. "How's your arm?" she asked.
"I thought it was just a scratch, but I can't move it."
"I'll look at it in a minute." Bird said. "What now?" she asked, looking at Kate. RO did the same.
"I'm not Navy anymore," she said.
"Ma'am, for us, you're still the X," RO answered.
"Bravo-82 to Alpha-82. All ok?" The voice of Dutchy sounded in RO's headset.
"Alpha-82 here. Not exactly. We found Commander White, Kate McGregor and a kid. We were ambushed and there are two dead and two wounded."
"Hmm. Where are you now?"
"On the main road to the small jetty where we came from. And you?"
"We are still working our way up through the valley. We're coming. You're higher. Try to reach the Hammersley. Over."
"Alpha-82 to Papa-82," RO tried. He got nothing.
"Alpha-82 to Papa-82. Do you hear me?" Still nothing.
"Alpha-82 to Bravo-82. No contact, still out of range," RO announced.
"Bravo-82 to Alpha-82. Roger that," Dutchy answered.
"I think I heard them. Down the slope here," Bird said.
"I'll head towards them. Stephanie, you stay with Bird, she will be nice to you," Kate said.
Kate stood up, caressed the girl's cheek and went down the slope into the valley. She slipped more than she stepped due to the moss and slippery underground.