Ch 12. Cold shower

Maxine stood upright and padded to the mess, avoiding Mike's office. She wanted to be alone.

She was spooning milk through the coffee and her thoughts wandered one year back.

How did we get into this shit?

About a year ago

Maxine's POV

All of a sudden it began to move. I've got a message that Lieutenant-Commander Gallway was available to take over the command of one of the patrol boats. Mike's of course. A win-win operation for both of us. He would come back to his shore posting and I can delegate some work to him. Nice. Moreover he could proceed with his relation with Kate. That would make it easier for me, because then I didn't had to nag about the fraternisations rules. Neither I've said something about it, it would only make them uneasy.

A minor thing to this situation was that it was Gallway who was going to take over the command and not Kate. It seemed that the Brass didn't have made up its mind about her.

When they arrived back from a patrol I called him to my office to tell him the news. He reacted with mixed feelings what I could understand. He asked me also about Kate's promotion, but I had to answer negatively.

I assumed she must have been seriously pissed off because she expected a promotion shortly. The switch would take place within two weeks, but a few days later I had a message from Commodore Harris to keep Mike as commander of the Hammersley until further notice. I had been never so surprised as then. Not a single explanation was added, just that order. So I did. When I saw the disappointment on the faces of Mike and Kate when I told them about the order I felt really guilty although it wasn't my fault.

A week later I've got another message from Commodore Harris that he would come over to Cairns personally. When was it ago that such a high officer had visited the base?

In despite of what I thought, it was a small man. Moreover he was a real no-nonsense man. He barely shook my hand when he asked me to close the door.

"Listen Commander, this case is highly confident. Therefore I came personally to here. The Navy got air of a swindle of weapons and drugs orchestrated by the Army and the Navy. We have to be very careful because there are already leaks everywhere. What money can do! Therefore I can only trust a few extreme dedicated persons and even then they must have a low profile. So that makes it rather difficult. We have already an undercover agent, but we need a second one. The problem is that the majority of people that I can trust are senior officers, but when I withdraw them from their active service it will attract the attention of defectors. You see? In despite everything there's only one person who's really suitable for it. It's a young promising female Lieutenant of your division. She was the best of the Academy and her records show that she's more than reliable. In normal circumstances she had been promoted right now, but I hold it for this purpose. A Lieutenant doesn't attract the attention than a Lieutenant-Commander. She has the guts, the brains and the creativity to handle."

"And who is it sir?", I asked although I knew it already. There was only one!

"Lieutenant Katherine McGregor."

"I see. Yeah she's good, more than good. Now I understand why she has been passed for her promotion", I answered.

"Exactly. But not passed, just delayed. Can you call her in? And call also Commander Flynn."

"Will do sir", I said and I hid a grin.

Weeks ago he had ordered me to keep Mike on the boat until further notice. Now the pieces of the puzzle start to fit.

Meanwhile a petty-officer brought some cups of coffee and I dialled the numbers of Kate and Mike.

It would be enough that I call one number instead of two, they are nevertheless together, but then the Commodore will become suspicious.

After the phone calls I was a bit confused.

Were they together or not? I couldn't derive from their reactions.

"They'll come sir", I said to the Commodore.

"Nice, meanwhile we can discuss the operation", he replied.

About 30 minutes later they arrived in my office, together.

That's not a coincidence!

From then on I became just a spectator in my own office!

The Commodore stood upright and invited both to take a seat.

"Commander, Lieutenant I invited you here because I need you both for a secret operation, Operation Trojan", he said. He looked at Mike, "I want that you coordinate the operation at sea and this will be your last patrol before you go back to Navcom"

Mike nodded and did not show that he knew already a bit.

Then he looked at Kate. "Lieutenant, I need a qualified officer for an undercover operation. Your profile is the best what we have for the moment. What I want from you is that you're going to be the captain of a cargo vessel. From your records I know that you're capable enough. In a nutshell, the Navy and the Army are involved in a swindle of weapons and ammunition. We are following these people already for two years and now it's going to be their biggest action. They will transport weapons and ammunition out of the country to terrorist organisations in Papua." He looked at the calendar and then at his audience. "Right now the actual captain from the cargo vessel is going to have an accident and they'll have to look for a new one. With the help of other undercover agents, we'll move to you the head of that organisation. That's Joel Oakes. But you're not alone on board. There's another officer on board with the function as bosun, so you'll be two. You'll pass the courses to him and he'll pass them to Fed's and Commander Flynn. Yes, before I forget, you'll be Emma Forbes. So Lieutenant that's your task now", he said convinced.

Kate was baffled and nodded, "Yes sir, ok".

I'm pregnant, what about that?

But instead of that question she asked something else, "For how long and when?"

"Ah, just for the voyage, from now on, that will be a week", he said.

"From now on?", she asked him surprised.

"Yes, right now, Lieutenant. Not a second to lose. Our first candidate has broken his arm and it was hard to find a second integer person. Moreover there's a risk that Oakes finds another captain", he said with a voice that not tolerated any objection.

"Ah", she said unsure.

Oh my god!

"Good, well, I brought my assistant as well, Warrant Officer Jennifer Moseley. She will help you with your cover", he said but he looked also at Maxine, "you have an empty office for the Lieutenant and my assistant?"

"Yes sir, office 118 is empty and there are no windows from inside", she said.

"Nice", he said and he turned to Kate, "Lieutenant, can you go to that office? My assistant is waiting outside and she'll go with you."

"Yes sir", Kate said with a little voice as she stood upright and she walked outside. She expected a kind of a huge female drill sergeant, but Warrant Officer Moseley was a tiny dark haired woman. She wore just like Kate a white shirt and trousers.

"Lieutenant? I'm Warrant Officer Jennifer Moseley. Everyone calls me Jenny", she greeted Kate to break the ice.

"Hi Jenny", Kate replied.

"Ma'am do you know where we've to go to?", she asked her.

"Yeah, office 118", Kate said and started to walk to there. Jenny followed her carrying a suit case and a shoulder bag.

Kate walked inside and Jenny locked the door behind her with the key.

Kate heard it and turned quickly startled to her.

Jenny shrugged, "We don't want to be disturbed, do we?"

With a swing she lifted the suit case on the table and opened the clips.

"You're going to be Captain Emma Forbes. To make it easy she has the same age as you and she's blond as well. But Emma is unemployed. She lost her job due to a failing relation with the owner of her former shipping company. Since then Emma has had bad luck and she takes every opportunity to do some job, especially at sea. Now, she's going to be the captain of a small cargo vessel. So, an out of the box for you ma'am", she said frankly.

Kate nodded.

Jeez, just as determined as Harris. These two fit nice together.

Meanwhile Jenny pulled some clothes out of the suit case and Kate looked at them frowning.

"Of course you can't show up by Oakes in your whites, thus we've the perfect outfit for you here", she said and she looked at Kate.

"If you want to undress… ma'am", she said with a determination of a drill sergeant.

The pause between undress and ma'am didn't escape to Kate and she started to untie her shirt.

Kate widened her eyes as she took over the three quarter pants. The trousers was worn out, some holes were stitched and there were spots on it. "Do I…?", she said unsure.

"Yes ma'am, it's a part of your cover. Emma hasn't the money to buy new things, moreover she's has been commanding some grubby cargo vessels and she doesn't care about fashion", Jenny said dryly.

Kate made face as she pulled on the pants and she looked in disgust at the grubby polo shirt that Jenny held for her. Worn out as well and with spots. She swallowed as she pulled the polo shirt over her head.

"These are you shoes", Jenny said as she pulled a pair of worn out hiking sandals out of a plastic bag. She waited until Kate has slipped her feet into the sandals.

"Thus, no make-up, no perfume, there's no money for that and please sit down!", she said.

"Pardon?", Kate said startled.

"Will you take a seat ma'am?", Jenny asked, but Kate could feel that she didn't want to hear further more questions nor a 'no'.

Kate sat down and felt how she started to untie the knot of her hair, "What…?", she muttered.

"Ma'am you can't expect that a grubby captain has an impeccable hair styling", Jenny said dryly.

"Uh?"

What did she say? No?! She can't mean it!

She walked to the suit case, grabbed something and walked back. "It has to be a bit greasy", she said.

Kate's eyes got as wide as tea saucers.

"What? What are you going to do?!", she exclaimed.

"Getting it greasy", Jenny replied plainly.

"No! I forbid…", Kate said indignantly but she was cut off by the stern warrant officer.

Jenny didn't listen and dripped a few drops of oil on Kate's hair and started to comb it again. "As I said, an impeccable hair styling doesn't match a grubby captain. You'll be recognised at once and the whole operation is stuffed up!", she said with a reprimanding tone.

Kate didn't say anything anymore because she was fully occupied to keep her tears of humiliation away.

Finally she tied Kate's hair in a sloppy pony tail. "Ready!", she said joyously.

At the back of the door was accidently a mirror and Kate walked to it to have a look at her appearance. She was shocked. A pang went thru her heart and a lump was forming in her throat.

Oh my goodness, it's just like I see myself back when I was 15. Mother didn't have the money to buy clothes for me and I had to do it with things from a charity shop. She did have money, for her own, to buy beverages and cigarettes. And soap wasn't either on the shopping list! I never thought to be reminded to that period.

"Ma'am?", Jenny repeated for the third time.

"Uh?"

"I packed a sports bag for you", she paused to get the attention again, " and in them there are a jeans, another cargo pants, t-shirts, underwear and a pair cotton shoes with laces. We didn't know your exact size, thus I took one that will always fit but with this kind of shoes you'll have no problems."

"Uh-hu", Kate mumbled, she wasn't able to say something decently.

I'm quick minded, but this passes all bounds! It goes too quick for me!

Then Jenny held her a wallet, "these are your papers with your new identity. Good luck captain Emma Forbes!", she said with smile.

She started to fold Kate's cloths and she put them in the suit case, "And don't forget, our second man is the bosun Bruce Walker. He's going to introduce you by Joel Oakes."

Kate nodded as Jenny closed the suit case. At that moment there was a knock at the door and Jenny walked to it. She unlocked it and peered outside. Then she turned to Kate, "it's Commander Flynn", she said but she didn't notice the panic on Kate's face , "I'll wait outside, before I bring you to a spot from where you can walk to the pub where Bruce is waiting".

Mike walked inside and Jenny out. She closed the door and waited in front of it.

"Ouch!", it escaped from Mike as he saw her.

"Mike, I don't want that you see me like this!", she said hurtfully. "I'm awful", she croaked out while tears appeared in her eyes.

"Sssht, honey", he whispered as he walked closer opening his arms.

Kate did a step back, "I stink!", she said in defence.

He didn't listen and enclosed her in his arms.

"Katie, it won't be that bad. We'll be just under the horizon", he said comforting her.

"No, it's not that, it's… it's this outfit. It makes me upset because it reminds me to the period when I was a teenager", she whispered.

Mike looked down at her frowning.

Uh? This is something that I don't know yet. Besides, I haven't heard anything yet from about that period of her life. My stomach feeling tells me that it wasn't good then.

"What happened then?", he asked.

Kate shook her head. "Not now Mike, not now. I just wanted to forget, but…", the lump in her throat stopped her talking.

Hmm, later on. This seems to be very touchy.

"Don't worry honey, it comes right", he said softly.

A knock on the door interrupted them and they both did a step back. Jenny poked her head back inside.

"Sorry sir, we have to move, otherwise my boss is going to kill me", she said.

Mike gave Kate a wink, "See you later X", he said and turned to walk out.

Kate looked at Jenny and found her authority back. "Right, Jenny where do I have to be?", she asked confidently.

"I'll bring you", Jenny said as she locked the door again causing Kate lifting her eyebrows surprised.

Jenny noticed it and grinned, "I don't want that one of these silly sailors enters while I'm in my undies", she said as she untied her shirt. She pulled out her shoes without untying the laces. She grinned at Kate, "I hate it to fiddle with laces. Thus I'll manage to get in and out of them without tampering!"

Kate smiled back at her.

Everyone has his weak points, even this drill sergeant.

"If I'm going to drop you near the pub where you're going to meet Bruce and it would be stupid to do that in a white Navy uniform, not?", she explained while pulling down her trousers.

Kate nodded.

Jenny pulled on a t-shirt and a jeans and slipped in a pair of sneakers.

She smiled at Kate, "Now, we're ready to go!"

Both left via the backdoor of the Navcom building.

Meanwhile Mike walked back to Maxine's office to receive his orders for the operation in a thick envelope. While he was listening to the instructions of the Commodore, the latter received a txt on his mobile.

"Hmm, Operation Trojan has started. Captain Emma Forbes has entered the pub", he said with a nod to Maxine and Mike.

"Oh? She's already away?", it escaped from Mike.

The Commodore looked at him sharply, "What did you expect Commander? We've already lost too much time!".

"Yes sir, when do we leave?"

"Asap! Tomorrow morning. So warn your crew today so that they are present tomorrow", he ordered.

"Ok sir, but what about my executive officer? I'm missing one", Mike said worried.

"We've foreseen that also commander. You commanding officer couldn't foresee this, so I took care for that as well. It's a young dynamic officer with experience on patrol boats. I ordered her to go straight to the Hammersley tomorrow." Luckily he didn't see Maxine's face, it was just like she tasted something bad, because she hated to be passed by. "Her file is already on its way down here", he finished.

He continued about the operation with the fact that it's a combined action with the Fed's.

30 minutes later there was a knock on the door and Maxine called that person in.

It was Jennifer Moseley and she had already changed in her whites again.

"Mission accomplished sir!", she said plainly.

"Right!", the Commodore grumbled as he stood upright.

"I think you both know enough now and I assume that you've plenty of job to do, so I leave you!"

Maxine and Mike stood upright also to greet their superior officer and afterwards he left with Warrant Officer Moseley.

Maxine and Mike grinned as they heard a remark from him to Jennifer behind the door.

"Moseley, pay more attention to your uniform! Today or tomorrow you're going to trip over these loose laces and you're going to kiss the ground just like the pope!"

They sat down again and they looked at each other for a moment.

Mike started as first, "Max, were you at the current of all this?", he said irritated.

She spread her hands, "No Mike, this is out of the blue for me too. If I had known I had told you, of course if I was allowed to it."

"Hmm, who are they sending to me as an executive officer?", he asked suspiciously.

Maxine sighed annoyed, "Even that, I don't know! You know how keen I am to know who my officers are. Anyhow, send that person to me after you've met him… or her on board. Just to see him or her because I want to know my people!".

"And after the operation? My shore posting?", Mike questioned.

"I think so. I had to keep you on board, and I assume it was for the operation. I don't think it would take that long before you're moving back to here", she said.

And I don't think that Gallway will take over your chair. I think that the chair will be hit by a female bum!

"Ok, well then, I'll go and read through these", Mike said as he stood upright and have the envelope bounced on his hand.

To be continued

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