Chapter 17
"What do you have in mind?", Kate answered, standing up too.
"Wait and see", he said, pulling on his backpack.
He started down the hill.
"Hey, aren't we going in the wrong direction?", Kate asked.
"Nope. It's this way", he said, pointing in the direction he was going.
She followed him quickly, paying attention to the narrowness of the path. Soon, they were back in the dense vegetation. Suddenly he stopped and looked at Kate.
"Now, over here. Be careful, the slope is steep", he said. He pushed his way through the foliage and left the path on the right. They climbed down the slope for five meters then it became less steep.
"Where are you taking us? There's no path at all!", Kate asked, pushing aside the foliage.
"The garden of Eden", he simply answered and continued.
"The garden of Eden? What kind of nonsense is that again?", she muttered.
After a few minutes they reached a clearing within the forest.
"Wow!", Kate said baffled, looking around.
It was a small inland lake bordered on one side by a rock and a waterfall and on the other by a small stretch of flowering grass.
"Do you see what I mean?", Dutchy asked.
Kate nodded, "Now I understand. Jeez, this is heavenly. How did you find it?"
"By accident actually. I heard the sound of water and was too curious to know where it was coming from".
Kate sat down and he sat down next to her.
"It looks clean to me", she noticed.
"As pure as it may be. Straight out of the rocks".
"Is it deep?"
"Enough to swim ".
"Have you done it already?"
"Yes, I always have towels and a swimming trunks in my backpack. You never know. Not only for swimming, but also for an unexpected thunderstorm", he replied.
End of Flashback
Maddie crossed her arms over her bent knees and rested her head there. Her face assumed a sort of dreamy expression.
"How romantic! A private garden of Eden! And did you swim? "
Kate smiled happily, "It was paradise on earth and it still is. I only hope few people found it. Indeed, we swam".
"Naked?", Maddie asked eagerly.
Kate shrugged her right shoulder slightly, "Come on, naked? Heaven forbid!".
"Oh? But, then you had sex, didn't you?", Maddie blurted out.
"Madison Mulholland! Behave yourself! What a low opinion you have of me!", Kate said indignantly.
Maddie spread both hands, "What Mum? What's wrong with sex? It's fun. Have you become old-fashioned?"
Kate's eyes widened, "Maddie, what? Wait a minute? Do you mean that…", she began.
Maddie smiled broadly at her, "Yes Mum, at ADFA, in the sail shed".
Kate rolled her eyes. "I hope you didn't do it with an instructor?"
Maddie frowned, "No, a fellow cadet, why?"
Kate waved, "No, never mind. But, that guy? Is he your boyfriend?", she asked worriedly.
Maddie laughed, "No Mum. It was after a party, we had drunk too much and we seemed to like each other. We both probably wanted it too much and I was thrilled to be able to feel the excitement".
"Hmm, did you…afterwards…again….you know", Kate asked.
Maddie laughed again, "Oh Mum, now you're old-fashioned again. No, we didn't. But, why did you ask if he was an instructor?"
Kate's face turned red, "Well, huh, my first time was at the ADFA too, with an instructor, Mike Flynn…."
Maddi's eyes widened, "Shit Mum! Now, I'm sure you are a dark horse. You did it and moreover with that jerk Flynn. Also a one night stand?"
"Uhm, no. We dated until… until he left without telling me", Kate said, looking at her daughter and waiting for her reaction.
"Asshole! If I see him next time, I'll floor him, just by accident", she said.
"You'd better not. He's a senior officer and he could be very nasty when it comes to postings", Kate warned.
Maddie wrinkled her nose. "But Mum, uh about that garden of Eden, in such a lovely place, did you do, you know, using your own words?", Maddie asked with a twinkle in her eyes.
Kate rolled her eyes again, "No!", but Maddie could see that there was still something wrong with it.
She rolled her eyes, "Mum, don't tell me that even there something went wrong!"
Flashback
"Yeah okay, you have your swimming gear. It's really good for you and I can watch you enjoy that tempting water, huh?", she said with a gesture of her chin forward, her hands on her hips.
He grinned and grabbed his backpack. He pulled out a small packet and tossed it to her.
Kate caught it, "Hey? It's mine!", she said holding up a bright red bikini. What? Mulholland, what does that mean?", she asked indignantly.
He shrugged and smiled disarmingly at her, "Well, I knew we were going to end up here. I put your T-shirt and shorts on the bed and took one of your bikinis. I knew where they were, because I had to collect things for you one day, remember".
She rolled her eyes, "Oh yes, I remember that very well. It was probably the most interesting task you've ever done in the Navy!".
"Indeed, you see, I've used the piece of information now", he said, starting to pull off his shirt.
"Well, I'm going to swim and you?"
"Ahum", she mumbled looking at the bikini in her hands, then motioned for him to turn around which made him smile.
Kate also turned around and started to undress.
"I wonder why this is exactly my smallest bikini. Just a coincidence, or…", she said peering over her shoulder to find he was also looking over his with a big smile on his face.
"Exactly what I was afraid of. You knew very well what you were doing!", she said as she approached him and gave him a slap on the shoulder.
"And the worst part is I'm making a fuss about something you already know. You put me to bed not too long ago", she said as she walked towards the lake.
"Kate, I agree, A, your underwear can't be compared to this bikini and B, this one suits you much better than the one-piece swimsuits", he replied following her.
"Dylan, A, you can't comment on my underwear because you don't know everything and B, I can't flaunt myself in this bikini in front of the crew ", she answered before entering the water.
"WOEHA, it's colder than I thought", she squealed as she walked in.
"Flows straight from the mountains. Refreshing, isn't it?", he said swimming beside her.
They swam to the waterfall and enjoyed the water splash over their head. He turned his head towards her and kissed her tenderly. Kate responded by cupping his face and kissing him back. He grabbed her by the waist and they kissed passionately.
"Did I make myself clear?", she asked with sparkling eyes.
"Yes, you did", he replied smiling and gently stroking her cheek.
Then, he suddenly frowned.
Kate noticed it, "Is there something wrong? Brrrrr.", she asked, shivering.
"Your lips are turning blue, you'd better get out", he advised her.
They swam quickly to the sunny side and got out. Dylan pulled out two towels from his backpack.
"Here, rub yourself vigorously to warm you up. You were overheated by the climbing and the sun and the difference with the water temperature was too great. Moreover, your body still hasn't recovered from your last night drinking party", he said and turned around to give her some privacy
Kate nodded shivering and put her clothes back on. She sat down in the sun to warm up.
"Sorry Dylan", she said softly.
"Hey, you don't have to say sorry. It can happen", he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
Kate smiled faintly in response.
"Come, let's go home. I think that's enough for today, right?", he said, looking at her.
She nodded, "Yeah, I'll be happy to be in my bed".
Dylan collected their things and they walked in the opposite direction.
End of Flashback
Maddie fell backwards in the sand, "Oh Mum! What a missed opportunity! I'm so sorry for you!
But how did you get back on track?"
"Aunt Max showed up and assured me that everything would be fine", Kate said
Flashback
The next day at Navcom.
Mike was browsing through a file when he was startled by the sound of a file slapped down on his desk. He looked up and saw Maxine watching him. "Hey Max, what was that for?"
"What was that for? It should be a question for you, not for me", she snapped.
"Why?", he asked, leaning back in his chair.
She angrily tapped her finger on the file, "This! Lieutenant Commander Kate McGregor's transfer to the Decommissioned Equipment Department, the so-called Garbage Bin Department!"
"Well, she has proven herself repeatedly unfit to command a ship. There she can't do no more harm", he said with an emotionless face.
"Come on Mike, you know very well that I made up the crew of the Hammersley and with your words you just implied that a superior officer's decision is bullshit. And by that you're implying that the superior officer is also unfit", Maxine said dangerously calm.
He smiled, "Max, superior officer? We've the same rank, it's just the seniority and…", he said, but his voice faltered when he looked at her four bands shoulder board.
"Oh, you're promoted", he said surprised.
"Yes, indeed. Recently. That's why I went to Canberra. I now command the entire Patrol Boat division", she said.
"Well, congratulations Max. You really deserved it", Mike said, smiling.
"Normally I should move to Darwin, but an ad hoc situation has arisen so that I have to command the division from here", she said deadpan, her gaze still fixed on Mike.
"Ah? And what's that situation? Normally I should know it", Mike said surprised.
"Because the ad hoc situation is a klutz who was meant to be my successor. Now, it's obvious that I have to perform a double task. I'm responsible for the whole division. So when one of my commanders messes up his command, then I'm responsible too. And that's exactly a situation I want to avoid", she said, staring at Mike.
"Ah? Uh… me?"
"Yes, who else? I appoint a commander who I know will succeed and what do you do? You sent one of the best officers to the rubbish dump and for what reason? Revenge! Because she dumped you. A woman who dares to dump Mighty Mike Flynn!"
Mike opened his mouth to say something about Kate, but he didn't get the chance.
"Or have you forgotten how you destroyed the keel of your first patrol boat to catch a smuggler's boat? The repair of the boat cost more than ten smuggler's catches".
"No Mike. You screwed up your chance to become Cairns Division Commander. I'll have to avoid further damage."
She grabbed Kate's file, "And this goes straight to the shredder! She remains the commanding officer of the Hammersley", she said and left his office.
Mike angrily threw his ballpoint at his desk where it shattered into three pieces. "Fuck!"
After office hours, Maxine drove straight to Kate's house.
I have to hear what that rascal Mike said to her. Knowing him, it was harsh. Knowing her, it hit her like a freight train. She already has problems dealing with bad comments because she always aims very high to achieve her goals. Why? She never told me. Her past is a closed book. It is certainly not a pleasant story, otherwise she would have told it.
She stopped at Kate's house, got out of her car and rang the doorbell.
A minute later, Kate opened the door.
"Hey Max, you're back!", she greeted her.
"Hi Kate, can I come in?", Maxine asked.
"Yeah, sure, come in", Kate said, stepping aside.
"How are you? I heard you had the flu", she said.
"Yeah right. Those bloody fridges at Coles, or should I say, what a fool I am to go there without a cardigan", Maxine replied.
"Hey, you got promoted!", Kate said, noticing her shoulder boards.
"Indeed, that's why I was in Canberra. I now command the whole Patrol Boat Division", Maxine said.
"Congratulations Max, but then you're here visiting because the headquarters is in Darwin", Kate wondered.
"Do you want a drink?", she added.
Maxine sighed, "A glass of sparkling water, please. It's hot today. And, indeed, you're right, the HQ is in Darwin, but I had to stay here because someone else messed things up".
Kate looked down, "Yes, me. I'm sorry. Moreover, I'm thinking of resigning".
"Nonsense! Not you! And that's why I'm here. Did Mike talk to you?", she asked.
Kate rolled her eyes, "If you mean talking, then no. If you mean bawling me out, then yes", she said walking to kitchen to fetch Maxine's drink.
Maxine followed her and grumbled, "That's what I was afraid of. What did he say?"
Kate gave Maxine her glass of water.
She shrugged and held up her hands, "Everything! He summed up everything I did wrong. The missed FFV, my fall in the mud, my gaffe against the wife of the French commander. He didn't say one good word. He couldn't, because I fucked up and I screwed it up!", she almost screamed the end of her sentence with tears in her eyes.
Maxine put down her glass and grabbed Kate's shoulders, "Hey! Don't worry. You are not transferred, reprimanded or fired. You stay aboard as captain of the Hammersley", she said and waited for Kate to make a mental note of her words.
"Really? No transfer? No Garbage Bin Department?", she asked, not believing her ears.
"No Kate, only you, as captain of Hammersley".
Kate smiled faintly not knowing exactly what to say.
"But I want to hear from you what really happened over there", Maxine asked, picking up her glass and finally taking a sip.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Bad luck. We picked up refugees and landed them in Noumea, but one of them was a suspicious man and he tried to run away. He rushed at me and I attempted to stop him. I expected him to try to knock me down, but he grabbed my arm and yanked me to the edge of the jetty and I found myself a few meters down in the mud. A rascal apparently recorded the incident with a smartphone. But the official part turned out fine except for the last night when it went horribly wrong. The crew went ashore, and I bought them a drink for my promotion. Unfortunately, I tasted a drink called Pernod. Delicious and refreshing, but I wasn't aware of its dangerous alcohol content. I was plastered before I knew it. To make things worse we encountered the commander of the French navy and the governor with their wives. I must have said something disrespectful and it was reported to the Brass", Kate said.
She sighed, "Everything went wrong. I also suffered from food poisoning on the way to Noumea and we ignored an FFV, even though the orders to ignore them came from Mike", Kate added.
Maxine frowned, "Food poisoning? Aboard? And the rest of the crew?"
"No, only me. I ate something dodgy the night before we sail in a beach bistro".
"Hmm, that's the story. Well, it was bad luck. But nevertheless, it's still better than my striptease", Maxine grinned.
"So there will no sanction?", Kate asked.
"No Kate, I had to reprimand Mike because he wanted to misuse this information to revenge himself on you for breaking off the relationship. In doing so, he actually questioned my decision to set up the crew of the Hammersley. It was my choice. That's why I have to stay here to prevent him from doing more mischief. If he got away with a damaged keel, then you can get away with some nasty sentences to an arrogant French bitch", she said.
Kate frowned, "A damaged keel?"
"Yes, that's why we called him Cowboy Flynn. On his first patrol he was chasing alcohol smugglers and he damaged the keel of the patrol boat to catch them. And he got them, but at what cost!"
A smile spread across Kate's face, "I didn't known about it".
"Of course not. He will always deny it".
"Hmm. Now I can't wait to get back aboard", Kate said, smiling.
"Uh Kate, I have to confess something", Maxine said uncertainly.
"What do you have to confess", Kate asked a bit worried.
"I also saw that video on YouTube about you falling in the mud and I roared with laughter", she said.
Kate rolled her eyes, "Great! Thank you, Max".
"Oh, there's also something good to come out of it", Maxine said.
"I can't imagine what was good about that", Kate said, crossing her arms.
"You got rid of the Princess Perfect nickname. It's now Mud Princess", she said grinning.
"Knocker, knock it off!", Kate grumbled.
End of Flashback
Maddie was sitting cross-legged. "So, all's well that ends well".
"But when did you and Dad start dating? I keep hearing he saved your skin, so that still meant he was crazy about you. But so far I haven't heard of anything romantic. How did you fix that?", Maddie asked, looking at her mother.
Kate sighed, "you're the third one to ask, Aunt Max and Nikki also asked at the time"
To be continued