No more
Chapter 4
"Everyone back to the ship now," ordered Buffer shocked with death of youngest member of his crew.
"Yes Sir." said Dutchy. The boarding party all came back to the Hammersley hanging their heads. When they arrived at the bridge, Buffer had already informed NavCom about Leon's death.
"Mike was not happy." he said. "He is pulling us off the mission until we get back-up from HMAS Kingston. Then they will be in lead when we try to catch the smugglers." he summarised the situation.
Bomber just nodded and went out of ship's office not saying a word.
"Well done Dutchy. Like she didn't feel a guilty already when he stood on that land mine, you have to say these words to her." Nav said and looked into ship's bosun.
"I said truth." Dutchy said.
"Well you don't care a lot about it with someone another do you?" Nav said sarcastic.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Dutchy asked pissed and raised up and looked into Nav.
"You know well. That on her place was Bird you probably wouldn't tell her in face that that was her fault, would you?" Nav asked
"No ma'am, you are wrong. I specifically said that the situation was too dangerous for Leon to join the boarding party, but Bomber needed to have everything her own way as usual, so don't make this my fault. It is not my fault that she has the CO wrapped around her little finger. And Bird has nothing to do with this, so leave her out of it, please." said Dutchy frustrated.
"Look Dutchy, all I am saying is that you are not helping by blaming Bomber like that, she is already blaming herself and feel horrible enough as it is." said Nav.
"Fair enough, ma'am." said Dutchy and left. Nav sighed and went over to the ship's CO.
"Hey Buffer, talk to Bomber, will you? She is blaming herself for Leon's death and nothing good will come out of that. I think you have the best chance at getting through to her." said Nav.
"What am I supposed to say to make her feel better, exactly?" asked Buffer with an exhausted look on his face.
"Well, you could remind her of the chain of command as a starter." said Nav and patted his arm comfortingly. Buffer gave her the faint shadow of a smile.
"Thanks Nikki, I'll talk to her." he said. Buffer went straight to Bomber's cabin and knocked the door. He heard a muffled sound in there and entered.
"Go away," said Bomber from her rack. She didn't even look up to see who it was.
"Hey Bec, I am so sorry about Leon." said Buffer. The sound of his voice made Bomber sit up and try to dry her tears. "It wasn't your fault, you know. He begged to come, so you were nice to him and took him along. But you have him a direct order to stay by the RHIB. If he had followed your order, he would have still been alive." said Buffer. "If someone is to blame here, it is me. I didn't overrule your decision of letting him join the shore party. And you know damn well that it is my ship, my responsibility." said Buffer. Bomber smiled through her tears.
"Thanks Buffer." she said. "But I still feel really guiltily." she admitted.
"You made all by dril. But it is look like he is like RO. Never follow order to stay by RHIB." Buffer said with smile and sit on her rack.
"I should listen Dutchy. I should to tell him to stay on board. He was just 17, he was a kid, a child." Bomber said with tears. "And he died without chance to we help him somehow." she added with sigh and sit up.
"You know that I don't believe in things like destiny, but I think that this time miss called destiny put her fingers here." Buffer said. "I have to go now. We will be in port in two hours. If you want, you can go with me to his parents." he added and Bomber nodded. He start to walk towards doors, when Bomber stopped him.
"Sir I need your help with something." Bomber said and sit in her rack, putting her legs in floor. Buffer close a door and sit into chair and looked into her. "My mum was in the Navy, and I found out that on last shore leave. Plus my dad is not Jack, and I just get herritance from my uncle Jeremy Marshall. I don't have an idea who is he. My mum doesn't want to tell me who my father is and I have to find out." Bomber said with tears. "I am feeling like my whole life is a big lay and she is not helping with not telling me the truth." she added.
"How I can help?" Buffer asked.
"You are a CO so you have a big inputs in different things. Can you check is anyone with surname Marshall served with my mum 26-27 years ago?" Bomber asked
"You know I like and respect you Bomber. You are a fine sailor, a beautiful woman and a warm hearted, good person, at least whenever your bad temper runs away with you. But what you are asking me to do is against all Navy regulations. If I tried to check this for you and got caught, it would cost me my career." said Buffer.
"Sorry, yeah, I know, I ju.." started Bomber, But Buffer cit her off mid-sentence.
"However, if I happen to accidentally stumble over any such information the next time I'm in HQ, nothing would be wrong in me having a beer with an old mate and then I might accidentally share whatever I find." said Buffer and winked at her. "But if you expect the answer to be our superior Commander Steve Marshall then I will have to disappoint you once and for all." he joked. "All Navy thinks he is a gay." said Buffer. Bomber laughed.
"No, I know it is not the commander." she said. "And thanks! I know I should never have asked for your support on this, but I don't know what to do." she said. Buffer smiled and left her cabin.
Hammersley returned back in port. Bomber pass on deck by Dutchy totally ignoring him. Idiot.
She went to her mother's house. In front of it was a car. She use an extra key and went in hearing argument.
"What should I do?" yelled Josie. "I was 17 and you were older than me. And your brother make sure I listen his threat. He threatened me he will make sure that baby doesn't get born if I stay and tell you." she keep with yelling.
"You know I loved you very well. Because of you I never married and all Navy thinks I am gay. What the hell you were thinking, hidding my daughter from me all this years?!" yelled Steve Marshall. "And when I found out that possibility? Year ago?" he kept with yelling.
"I can't believe how much you two went low. This is my life you know?" Bomber asked from doorway. "And I will say just one word. Stay away from me, my life and everything what is connected with me. Both of you!" she yelled and went slamming door behind her. She take a phone and send a message to Buffer.
"Gay, yeah whatever!" And send it being pissed.
She went home and turn her phone off, denaying all phone calls. She take a beer and sit on sofa thinking how her life was big lie. How her father is not her father, how her mother was lieing her all life and on end Leon's death. It was all too much for her for that day and she decided to get herself drunk. Maybe that would help her to forget all that mess what happened to her in one day. Someone knocked on doors but she ignored it.
"Bomber open a door." Buffer said and knocked harder again. "And that is an order!" he added.
Bomber looked into doors not opening it. She couldn't face anyone now, she just wanted to be alone and to put her mind up. Buffer knocked once again but Bomber ignore it. When he realised she won't open it, he sighed and went off.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:here is one more chapter of this story. I hope you liked it. Please review because I want to know all your thoughts and ideas about this one. I would like to hear your predictions too.
Thanks for reading