***Chapter 19
The salty water swept over the tubes and drenched the six sailors sitting in the RHIB completely. Despite the light breeze caused by the headwind they didn't flinch. The cooling was more than welcomed with the sun burning from a bright blue sky. No clouds could be seen when the young seaman at the helm brought the RHIB alongside the cargo ship. The hull towered like a massive orange wall and suddenly the sunlight vanished as they entered into the long shadow cast by the big ship. A robe ladder dangled as far as the surface of the water and small ripples left the last two steps wet and slippery.
Perkins tilted his head back and eyed the ladder suspiciously. There again was a chance to embarrass himself. But he had no time to think about the numerous things that could happen between down here and up there. Someone waved overhead and a deep male voice shouted in broken English:
"Hey Navy, just come up. Captain talked. Exercise. No problem. Come, come."
The accent indicate some Asian country, which one Harry couldn't tell. He never could discern a difference. They all sounded the same. They even looked all the same for him. But probably it's the same for them with us, he thought and gripped the ladder. Please don't let me fall.
2Dads watched the XO climbing up followed by Buffer and Swain and grimaced to Bomber, imitating someone falling and screaming. She cut him a look and shook her head. The bosun's head appeared over the rail.
"Bomber, you're next. What's keeping you?"
"Nothing. Coming up now." Already on the first step she added only for 2Dads to hear: "You better stop before someone sees you. Don't you think you had enough trouble with Lieutenant Perkins already?"
Sam sighed with relief when he finally found the sheet of paper he was searching for. Normally they had all the information needed within seconds but the computer system was down due to problems after a short-cut and the technicians still on it. So everything was back to handwritten forms and sheets. Here he had it in black and white: The blue container was on it's way to Indonesia, the ship transferring the cargo called Bintang, chartered by an Australian company. He reached for the phone. There was someone out there who would be really glad to get that information asap.
The ship's company was friendly and helpful. Obviously they had no problem at all having the Australian Navy aboard doing their exercise but enjoyed the show. That was until the XO pointed at a row of containers.
"What's in there?" he asked curiously.
A young sailor who was seconded to help the navy personal flipped through the cargo documents.
"Different stuff. Groceries, material, furniture. Is there a problem? You can see all the papers, costumes checked everything before sailing." He wanted to hand Perkins the papers but Harry shook his head.
"Open them." he said. "At least the first row. I want to see inside."
Nervously the sailor signaled his captain to come down from the bridge. They exchanged a few words in a foreign language.
"Why you want to see inside? Is there a problem with papers? Some stuff is sensitive to seawater. We can't just open them here. And we really need to go on now, we lost some time already." The captain sounded irritated. He had done everything these guys wanted but enough was enough. His customers wouldn't be happy if there was any damage at their merchandise.
Just until Perkins started to argue, Lieutenant Commander Flynn watching the boarding from the bridge had been very pleased with his Executive Officer. The Exercise had went according to plan, no falling off the robe ladder, no problems with the foreign crew. But suddenly everybody aboard the container ship seemed tensed up.
"Perkins, what's the problem?" he asked.
He first heard nothing but static than Harry's steady voice came over the radio.
"I asked the captain to open some containers, Sir. He disagreed. I insisted."
Mike sight. "Is there a reason why you want him to open them?"
After a pause, the XO answered not sounding so sure anymore: "No, Sir. It was just a feeling. But I really think we should make sure what's inside. Can't explain why."
"There is anything wrong with the papers? Any sign of something unusual?" Flynn asked curiously. If Perkins negated, there was little chance he could command the captain of the cargo ship to open the containers if he didn't wanted to. After all the ship was under Australian flag and the participation at the exercise had been voluntarily.
"No Sir. Nothing's wrong." Now Harry's voice indicated the young XO had assumed a defiant attitude. "But I still think we should...".
"If there's nothing wrong with the papers, stop it. Come back to the Hammersley and that's it. End of the exercise." Mike didn't want to argue with his XO over the radio. But he knew he sounded harsher than he had wanted to. Probably 'cause he knew how frustrating it was to have a gut feeling and not be able to go with it. Let him blame me for it. Blaming superiors always had helped him maybe it would help Perkins too.
They had all heard what the CO had ordered and Bomber and 2Dads were already on their way back to the robe ladder when they heard a low but steady voice.
"You just open the first container. I have to insist."
Turning 'round they saw how Perkins lowered his hand over his belt holster. Swain and Buffer looked alarmed but also unsure what to do. Turning white under his suntanned skin, the Asian captain held up his hands.
"No need to get angry, Mister. I told you, I can't open it. The cargo could be damaged."
"And I told you I have to insist. The blue one over there. Just open it and we leave your ship immediately afterwards."
"What the hell is he doing?" Mike asked. He shook his head in disbelief. What he saw was his executive officer threatening someone sailing under Australian flag with his weapon, at least almost. What's he thinking? Need to prove nothing to me.
"Buffer? Get him out of there – now!" he ordered. The bosun would know how to do so without embarrassing the XO in front of the crew Mike was sure.
"Sir, there's a Sam on the phone. Harbor office. He wants to speak to you." RO sticking his head out of the hatch informed him.
"Not now, RO." Giving a curt refusal to the radio officer Mike watched Perkins going to one of the containers and laying his hand on the handle.
Buffer grabbed his arm and said something. Harry shook him off.
"Sir I really think you should hear what..."
"Not now!" Mike was really angry now. Does anyone do what I ordered them to?
Harry Perkins was sure now. He needed to see what was inside that cargo container. First, it just had been a feeling. A blue container – he couldn't say why but that seemed to be the one they were looking for. But to tell the others – if he was wrong, the situation could get really embarrassing. And that was even before he had heard something – at least he thought he had. No way to be sure. On such a big ship, it never was quite. A hand grabbed his left arm, he heard Pete say something. Still concentrating on the dull faint noise he had heard before, he shook him off. Buffer just wanted to help, he knew. But that was his call, not the bosun's one.
"Open the container or I will do it myself."
The foreign skipper sighed. "If anything gets damaged, you will pay for it!"
He waved one of his man to do what the Navy officer wanted. The sailor moved loathly towards the container when they all heard it. A rattling, clanking sound, very faint but there. It seemed to come from inside the blue container. With a move that indicated years of training, Buffer and Swain acted not a second later. No need to tell them what to do next, Harry thought, slightly impressed. Even 2Dads and Bomber, not that experienced, seemed to know the procedure.
On the bridge wing Nav and Mike watched Buffer and Swain moving forward hands on their wapons, saw Rebecca and Leo falling back a bit securing them.
"What's going on?" Nav asked.
"I don't know. Buffer, what is it?!" Mike turned the binoculars and cleaned the glass, watched again as if the better view could explain what happened on the other ship. "Buffer? Swain? Report!" His voice stern now.
Still no answer, then after what seemed minutes Buffers voice came over the radio. "Sir, there's something or someone inside that container. We heard it. Investigating now."
Nikki pressed her hands against the rail so hard her knuckles went white. She hoped against hope. Could it be...? Judging by the look of his face, the CO had similar thoughts.
There was someone outside. Billy heard a scratching and voices outside their dark and uncomfortable prison. There was someone, finally. The still small voice whispered in his head. Don't show yourself. You drank all the lemonade. That wasn't right. He shoved the thought aside. You've made your bed know you must lie in it, his mother always had said. And he really wanted to get out, no matter what consequences their little trip would have. Spider softly shook Andy by the shoulder. His crew mate murmured something under his breath and continued sleeping. Spider shook a little harder.
"Charge? Wake up. I think there's someone outside."
"What's...?" Still a bit sleepy, the chief engineer didn't react immediately. But as soon as the words sunk into his consciousness, he struggled to his feet and started banging against the wall. "Hey there, open the damned door!" Billy joined him and together they made as much noise as they could. Please open the door!
Feeling a bit light-headed Bomber realized she had hold her breath. Could it take so long to open such a bloody container? Changing looks with 2Dads he seemed to think the same. Spider he mouthed with a questioning expression. She shook her shoulders. Please let it be them! she prayed.
"Hands where I can see them. And now come out slowly!"
Hearing Buffer's order, she knew that something was awfully wrong. He wouldn't say that if that were Charge and Spider inside, would he?
From their position, Buffer and Swain blocked the view inside the container. Please, please, please. Then she heard the coxswain explaining they had discovered two juvenile stowaways. Not again. The blood was singing in her ears, the horizon suddenly turned upside down. Hitting the deck hard, she could hear a voice shouting her name. Then nothing more.
"Hey there sunshine. Gave us quite a scare." Swain smiled down at the young woman lying on the bed at the wardroom. "You hit your head pretty bad at the rail when you fainted. Felling better now? 'Cause there's someone's outside who wants to say hello." Still smiling, he opened the door taking her weak nod as an approval. Buffer stood outside, his back towards the door, talking to another person. Hearing Swains last words he turned 'round and stepped aside.
"Charge!" Nikki ignored her throbbing head, jumped up and fell around the engineer's neck.
Spider grabbed another potato. Standing in the galley he helped Rebecca preparing the dinner while she updated him on what he had missed.
"And then we discovered those two runaways. Guess they got an awful shock when they found themselves hold at gunpoint. I …" blushing she corrected herself" we were very disappointed it hadn't been you two. RO informed the families and they are so glad to get their sons back they thanked Lieutenant Perkins a thousand times for insisting on opening that container. Then NAVCOM called. A guy named Sam had informed them where to find you." She smiled at him. "It's good you're back. And don't get me wrong." Bomber twinkled. "Who else would help me peeling potatos without complaint?"
"And I thought I would never see you again. And don't you get me wrong I mean all of you. And it would be a shame to miss that french fries." Spider twinkled back and carried on peeling.