Chapter 23
Leo knocked at the door of the ComCen and wondered if RO would let him in. The door opened and Robert poked out clearly annoyed seeing him.
"What is it, 2Dads? I have to do."
"RO. Just wanted to know you if you could do me a favor."
The radio officer rolled his eyes. "Let me ask again: What do you want, 2Dads? I told you before: stop badgering me."
Leo turned to make sure nobody was standing in the hall. "It's a surprise for Bomber. Let me in and I tell you."
Reluctantly Robert let him pass. He wasn't sure why. Normally he would have rejected the idea and slammed the door right in the grinning face of 2Dads. But today he was kind of distracted and before he could react Leo ambled in the room and closed the door behind him. "Remember the spinners?", he wanted to know. Then his gaze fell on the little turtle on the desk. He cocked an eyebrow at it and asked: "What's that? I'd always thought you would prefer the ordinary version not the toy one." Seeing the irritation in Robert's face, he clarified: "The usb drive turtle. My little cousin has one like that. But she's in sixth grade."
"Sir, we have a radar contact with a suspected FFV.", Nav announced.
Mike looked up from the clipboard he had in hand and turned to Spider, who was sitting in front of the EOD. "Anything, Seaman?"
"No, Sir, not yet. It seems like they throwing something in the water, could be some kind of trawl. But I'm not sure. It's hard to see, we're on the wrong side."
Overlooking the now hazy blue sky, Mike decided to wait. "We can't risk spooking them if we want to catch them in the act. Swain, dead slow. Let's stay under the horizon. Spider maintain radar contact, shadow them at the distance until we get an idea what they're doing. And as soon as the sun has set we intercept them."
Just half an hour later, Spider jumped from his chair. "No way! That's not happening!"
Irritated, Buffer who had the watch came up to him. "What is it?"
"Buffer, look at that. Are they doing what I think they are?" Spider stood starring at the picture before him. Then he suddenly turned and made his way to the staircase.
"Spider, stop. Where are you think you're going?" Buffer needed just one glance to understand what had upset the young seaman. A look of consternation crossed his face. "We have to inform the CO and then act according to protocol, not at a rush." He grabbed Billy at his sleeve to stop him from leaving the bridge. "Calm down!", he tried to quell him.
"CO to the bridge, CO to the bridge at the rush." Nav who had quickly realized the situation, was already calling the Lieutenant Commander over PA.
"They are killing them, Buffer! We have to go now!" Spider struggled with Buffer's grip. He couldn't acquiesce in the bosun's decision. "It's a massacre."
"What's going on?" Mike Flynn entered the bridge and his eyebrow ascended finding the two struggling men at the top of the staircase. "Buffer, what does that turmoil mean?", he asked putting an edge in his voice. Pete pointed at the EOD with his free hand, not loosening his grip on Spider's arm.
"The FFV we're shadowing, Sir. I think we do know now what they are up to. They're catching the spinners." Under his breath, he added: "Spider, stop struggling. I'm going to break your arm if you don't stop."
Leo sat in the junior's mess and waved at Rebecca, indicating that she should come in.
"Bomber, wanna hear your little friends singing?"
He opened his laptop and started a sound file. A high pitched quaking sounded through the mess. The electrician smiled. "You know what that is? I asked RO to record the spinners today. We're to test a new hydrophone and I thought that would be a good opportunity to do so. What you think? Thought you would like it." 2Dads stood up and turned to the racks pouring himself a new cup of coffee. He smiled over his shoulder, a playful quirk on his lips, as he added: "And I was wondering if there's a chance I get to see that little dance again, you did before."
Bomber blushed, much to her chagrin, and asked if she could hear the dolphins again just to divert him and gain some time to recover. He's cute when he's quirking like that. I never noticed before. And it's really nice he thought of me. With some effort Bomber painted a blank expression on her face. "Thanks, 2Dads. I've never heard before. That was really nice of you." She turned to the door and added over her shoulder: "And no, you won't get to see me dance right now. That's my special occasion dolphin move. I'm sorry but you're missing fins. Maybe someday you get more of this." With a mocking little dance move she left.
Leo followed her with his eyes when she shimmied through the door. Wow. What a woman. He really wouldn't mind at all some attention from her in the future.
A usb drive. He shook his head and wondered if he would have thought of that. Upon closer inspection the turtle had revealed a small gap between the head and the shell. There were two files on the flash drive. One was a mp3 file that wouldn't open, the other one was a letter:
Dear Robert,
I don't have much time. Feds keep telling me that everything's fine but I don't believe them. Memories keep coming and going like pictures in a kaleidoscope so I don't know who to trust at the moment. I'm pretty sure Tom has something to do with all the trouble I'm in. Something seems to be wrong but I can't put my finger on exactly what it is.
You sure remember the sound file I recorded. I can't open it, I think it's corrupted due to sea water. I tried to keep it dry but after all I was not quite so successful it seems. Hope you have an idea on what to do with it.
Love Sara
PS: I'm not sure about the numbers I told you before, 775, I think they do have something to do with a radio – I kept thinking of it and 775 kHz sounds right. Just don't ask me why it was so important.
Transfixed by the letter, Robert didn't react at first when the call "hands to boarding stations" came. When he finally moved, he nearly run into Bomber who was on her way from the galley.
"Jeez Robert, pay attention to where you're going!" She dodged and scowled at him.
"Hands to boarding stations, hands to boarding stations. Assume damage control state three condition Yankee.", they heard the Nav's voice all over the ship on their way to the armory.
"You think it's a good idea to let her come on this one? She looks like she's going to get quite nasty." Charge eyed Bomber, who's eyes where fixed on the FFV and the circling dolphins. Her fists clenched, she looked daggers at the small vessel.
Buffer patted his shoulder. "I trust her to handle herself..." he paused and added: "and you to have an eye on her." Andy nodded and prepared himself for the boarding as they approached the fishing vessel full speed.
"Fishing vessel on my port bow. This is the Australian warship Hammersley. Stop or heave to, we intend to board you." They all could hear Nikki's voice sounding over the dark water. Full headlights illuminated the scene before them. A tall man with a protruding jaw and wispy brown hair stood at the stern and watched them closing in. Kate couldn't see his hands so she moved with extreme caution as she jumped over the rail after Buffer and Charge.
"This is the Australian Navy. Please step forward into the light. Who is the master of this vessel?", she asked and motioned to her boarding party to check the decks.
The tall man she had seen before ambled closer, hands still out of sight. Buffer stopped him with his gun raised. "Sir, let me see your hands please."
Affecting a laugh, the man stopped and raised his hands theatrically. "Wow, no need to play cowboy here. See, my hands are up in the air, no need to worry. Welcome aboard. I'm Liam. What have I done to have you here on the doorstep of my vessel?"
Kate frowned and Buffer didn't need an extra command, he didn't move an inch, barrel still pointing at the man. "Well, Mr. Liam, we have reason to believe that you are illegally fishing. You're suspected to catch dolphins. Spider, help Charge muster the crew at the bow.", Kate interrupted herself when she caught sight of the engineer with two fishermen.
"I'm sorry but you must have been lead astray. We do fish, yes. But we're after marlins. That is not illegal, is it? The dolphins, we just enjoyed their show." Liam sneered and haughtily nodded towards the pod. "Cool, aren't they?" And then he added brazenly: "So, can we go now?"
"We're not finished here, Sir! I tell you when we are." Kate's lips flattened, her expression didn't invite further inquiries.
Bomber was still fuming. They hadn't found any hints on what the fishermen really where after but she knew from her heart it wasn't marlin. One of the fishermen gawked at her and she wished she could just punch the uncouth bloke right into his ugly face. But that couldn't be considered as having been approved by the X she was pretty sure of. So she just stared back hoping to transfer her thoughts via eye contact.
The man seemed oblivious to her dislike at first, then Bomber noticed him blinking. She thought about saying something when her opposite almost invisibly nodded. He wasn't looking at her but at somebody, something behind her. The second medic turned just in time to see someone ducking behind a box behind the wheelhouse at the stern. "Charge, over there.", she called out to her crew mate and moved instantly. Andy followed her pointing finger.
"Spider, RO. Stay here and see that these guys don't do something stupid.", he ordered before following Bomber to the front of the ship.