CH 4
The next morning Pete was on Rick boat as they left Cairns. Pete was up in the wheel house with Rick watching what he dose while they talk.
Two days later Mike was in Steve office with two feds talking about Buffer working under cover.
"We need his cell phone number"
"He not using his own, he got a new one just in case Rick mate check out the contact list"
"then how is he going to contact you?"
"He given one of my crew a second phone so he can send text messages and photos. Plus if and when Rick strikes he will let his contact know then who ever it is will let me know"
"i hope you better let me know"
"don't worry Murphy I will"
"You better" Mike turn to Steve
"any word on new boson"
"Yes he will meet you on Hammersley, here is his profile" Steve pass mike the file.
"thanks" they talk some more before they walk out of Steve office.
With mike getting his phone out of his pocket and make a call "Hey can you sebel the crew on deck... yes just walking out of NAVCOM... I'll explain then... thanks Kate" then he hung up.
Few minutes later mike and the feds got out of the car. The driver pass them there bags and he saluted mike which he did in return before Mike walk over to the gangway and up onto Hammersley. He notice the crew saw the two feds then they look at him.
"As you notice buffer isn't here. He won't be sailing with us for a while"
"Why that sir?" Charge asked
"Buffer working under cover for the feds. He on Rick Gallagher boat Pacific mariner"
"the one you think is behind the toxin water sir" RO asked
"Yes, so if we do come across it and we do board it for training purposes and you see buffer, pretend you never seen him before, if Rick notice, buffer life would be in danger, got that"
"Yes sir" they all said
"Sir who buffer replacement?" Kate asked
"He will be here soon, in the mean time return back to your duties, ET show our guests to there cabin"
"Yes sir"
"X, Nav my cabin now" then they walk different directions while talking.
When Nav and Kate was in mike cabin and the door is close. Mike put his brief case on his desk and open it up. He pick up a file and pass it to Kate
"This is buffer temporary replacement" Kate open it up and read what it says.
"Now Nav, buffer told me he got two phones"
"Yes sir" she pulled out out of her pocket to show him it.
"Ok let me know soon as you received any messages and don't tell the feds that your his contact" Nikki smile
"don't need to worry about that sir. Pete and I talk about it and we going to make sure that the Hammersley crew take all the glory from the feds" Mike smile
"Thanks Nav, have you heard from buffer"
"Yes" she press some buttons then she showed mike the text messages letting her know where they going and if he wasn't sure of the island he text in cordial in different text messages. Mike notice that at the end of each message it got '3 Pete' He smile as he pass it back to her.
"I send a reply so he knows that I got his message"
"Ok, any thing else I should know?"
"Yes sir, I got a map and mark the areas Rick Gallagher been to thanks to Pete text messages so it will give us an idea where he going and been to"
"That good to know, X every thing alright" she look up from what she reading
"Yes sir, I read petty officer Mulholland profile, have you read it sir" mike smile
"not yet, Nav you can return to your duties while X here fills me in on buffer temporary replacement"
"Yes sir, you want me to let you know when the petty officer arrives sir"
"Yes thanks" Nav turn and walk out of mike cabin closing the door behind her.
"Tell me what your read so far while I'll get change" Kate look at Mike and smile
"X" He gave her the look she knows all to well
"Yes sir"
She look down at the profile while mike starting to get change. "Petty officer Dylan Mulholland is twenty eight years old, married seven years with two sons six and two year old. Wife also navy, lieutenant who is at Watson bay. Done two tours over in Iran, just return from his second tour. He hasn't been on patrol boat before, it all been frigates. He was promoted last year before his second tour"
"that must be hard on his and his family being apart"
"Yeah just like us"
"True"
Kate read out more details about the petty officer till she close the file and look up and smile at Mike as he pulled the zip up on his overalls. He look at Kate to see her smiling at him
"X"
"Yes sir" she lick her lips as Mike sat down on his bed so he could put his boots on.
"You going to regret what you just did"
"Am I now?"
"Yes you are, when we get back from our patrol" Kate put the file on mike desk
"I better return back to work...sir" she said smiling before turning around and opening the door and walking out of his cabin with a little sway in her hips which mike notice.
When mike finish lacing up his boots he pick up his hat as she stood up and step ford to his desk where he put Dylan file in his brief case then he close it before walking out of his cabin.
Couple minutes later Mike walk on the wharf when the crew just finishing out the last items on Hammersley.
"X" she turn to him
"sir"
"Every thing on board"
"Yes sir, this must be Petty officer Mulholland"
Mike turn to see a guy wearing jeans a shirt and sun glasses, he was carrying his sea bag over his shoulder as he walk towards Mike and Kate till he stop as he remove his sun glasses
"Lieutenant commander Flynn I'm petty officer Dylan Mulholland sir" they shook hands
"Welcome to Hammersley, this is XO lieutenant McGregor"
"Ma'am"
"Petty officer" they shook hands
"Dutchy ma'am" he said smiling at her
"This is lieutenant Caetano" mike said "Nav" she said as she shook his hand
"Ma'am"
"spider" mike called out.
Spider walk over to them "Yes sir"
"Show Dutchy here to his rack"
"Yes sir, this way Dutchy"
"sir" Dutchy said then follow spider onto Hammersley as they talk.
"It going to be a interesting patrol" Kate said
"Yes it is X" mike said as he walk back onto Hammersley.
Half an hour later Hammersley left to head to bright island to drop the two feds off then they start there patrol. The crew got interduce them selves to Dutchy and they fill him on about bright island.
Mike and Nav were up top talking when Dutchy walk up the steps "Sir, Nav"
"Dutchy all settle in?" mike asked
"Yes thanks, crew told me about bright island and about the toxin"
"We thought they would" Nav said then her cell phone rings so she got it out of her pocket to see a text message from buffer.
"sir" she show it the text message. 'going to bright island, be there in three hours 3 Pete'
"Dam" mike said Nav send a text, before she send it she show mike 'Pete we seven hours way 3 Nikki'
"Send it" Mike said so Nav sent the text message.
"dose he know about the feds"
"Yes I text him before I got change"
"ok" he turn to Dutchy
"I'll explain later"
"Yes sir"
When they reach bright island Nav and Kate was looking on the radar when Mike walk down from up top "any thing?" mike asked
"nothing sir" Nav said
"Ok"
Twenty minutes later Kate was up on look out deck when the dingy left Hammersley taking the feds and there stuff to the island. When dingy return ten minutes later and was put back in it spot Hammersley left to do it patrol.
Three nights later they were going through a bad storm, no one got any sleep cause of it. By morning the storm pass and the engines stop so Charge and his team were working on it while crew was drinking strong coffee to keep a wake and others were getting some sleep since Kate put the crew into shifts so most of the crew could get some sleep before there shift starts, that including Nav.
When charge walk onto the bridge, mike turn to him "Sir team and I done the best we could for now"
"How much time do you need?"
"three hours then I suggest we return back to cairns. That storm we went through done some damage" Mike turn to Kate
"X where the closest island" Kate look at the maps then to mike
"Bright island, it two hours away"
"Ok plot a course to bright island" then he turn to charge
"will the engines get us there"
"sure so long as the engines don't over heat"
"go back down and keep an eye on them. If they do start to over heat let me know strait away"
"Yes sir" charge turn around and walk back the way he came while Kate gave new course directions. Then mike started the engine and they slowly head to the island.
When they were close Kate, mike and Nav were up on look out deck "sir you want to take a look" Kate said passing mike her binoculars He look through them
"Feds, we drop two off few days ago and I count another six more what are they doing?"
"they must of found some thing" Nav asked
"don't know, but I'll go and have a chat to them" Kate turn to him
"sir" he turn to Kate
"toes remember" mike smile at Kate
"Yes I remember, care to join me X"
"Yes I would sir" then they walk off the look out deck then Dutchy walk up
"Nav"
"Dutchy" he pick up the binoculars and look through them
"what going on, on the island"
"don't know, captain going to find out and the X is going to make sure he stays out of trouble" Dutchy turn to Nav
"He can't be that bad?"
"Yes he is, in five years since he been a captain on here, he gone through number of XO, Navigators and bosons. They weren't good enough"
"Is that what happen to the guy before me?"
"No, he working under cover for the feds"
"ok, if captain going through XO, then what makes this XO different?"
"they known each other for along time and serve on a frigate for a short time and it was fleet command and chief of the navy who posted X on here since captain was going through five XO a year plus"
"that bad?" Dutchy asked
"Yes and it good that lieutenant McGregor is here, she a rule sticker unlike the captain. In ADFA her nick name was princess perfect"
"wait a minute" he look at Nav in shock
"that thee Kate princess perfect McGregor who won every navy award including the sward award at ADFA and made navy history"
"Yes that her, how do you know her"
"My wife she went through ADFA, it not a week go by with out princess perfect name is mention"
"Really, what about Watson bay?"
"she there now doing her navigation course. In fact Mac... that what I call her, her name is Mackenzie fisher, her nick name is flipper"
"Flipper" Nav asked while smiling
"that what I said that she should call her self"
"Why?"
"Well her last name for starts, she love to swim, she experience diver and she can hold her breath for just over eight minutes that her best record and that on a free dive"
"wow that along time"
"It is"
"how long have you been married for?"
"seven years, you"
"not married"
"Boy friend" Dutchy asked while smiling at her
"Yes"
"Ah, is he navy" Nav laugh
"what this with twenty question, I hope the crew didn't put you up to this"
Dutchy look over to where the steps are then back to Nav. She walk quietly around the seat and down to the bridge as she crouch down
"spider, Jaffa, chefo, ET up here now" Nav said in command tone
then she stood up and walk back to her spot and turn around with her arms folded in front of her as the guys walk up onto the deck. They could tell she wasn't happy with them "Tell me why I shouldn't give each of you tooth brush duties"
"sorry Nav, we just wanted to know who you been seeing" spider said
"What goes on in my private life is private got it"
"Yes Nav" they all said
"I don't want to find out that you been trying to find out about my private life, under stand"
"Yes Nav"
"Nav, ma'am we were just curous since we notice you were getting a lot of text messages and we notice you smile at them before you reply back" ET said
"that is none of your concern, got it. If I hear that you been talking about my private life with any one on this ship, you will have the the captain to deal with got it"
"Yes Nav"
"Go on get out of here" they turn and walk off the look out deck.
Nav turn around and look at the island. Nav and Dutchy watch what was going on till the dingy return so she walk down to the back of the ship to see Mike and Kate walking over to a spot to talking in private. Mike saw Nav so he nudge his head for her to walk over to them.
When she did reach them "six, X what wrong"
"Feds are tight lip about what they doing on there" Kate said
"i gather that with the other extra feds on there, what did Murphy say?"
"nothing to worry about" Mike said as he turn to look at the island.
Nav turn to Kate "When a fed said nothing to worry about, you do worry"
"that is a worry if they say that alright" Nav said.
Mike turn and walk towards the front of the ship. "He worried isn't he" Nav asked
"Yes he is. He knows what the feds are like" Kate said as she turn to look towards the island.
"It a shame that some of us can't go on there since we going to be here for a few hours" Nav said
"Mike said that he was going to give the crew some shore leave if they want it, Murphy said no for any of the crew to be on there"
"What is Murphy hiding?" Nav asked
"that what mike said when we return back to the dingy" Nav smile
"so crew are stuck on here?"
"Yes at least they can catch up some sleep which I'm going to do" Kate said as she walk down the side of the ship.
She went to see mike, she notice his door was close so she knock on it then open it up to see it dark "X what is it"
"sorry sir, I didn't know you were getting some sleep"
"It ok, what can I do for you"
"I can think of a lot of things but that can wait till we get home."
"X"
"sorry...sir. I was going to let you know that I was going to get few hours sleep"
"Ok shame you can't join me" Kate knew he would be smiling
"when we get home. I'll let Nav know"
"Ok"
"Sir as for the feds don't worry about them, it buffer we should be worried about"
"True"
"night sir"
"night X" Kate close his door then she went to talk to Nav before going to get few hours sleep her self.
She notice how quiet it was as she walk towards her cabin till she saw one of the sailors so she spoke to him. He told her crew catching up on there sleep since every one didn't get any cause of the storm.
It took tired Charge and his team over four hours to make the repairs. When done he told Nav whom went to wake Kate up so she could wake mike up. When Kate was dress she went to the loos then she went to get two brews before going to wake mike up.
She open the door the best she could and walk into his cabin "Kate what is it"
He reach over and turn the light on then he saw her walk towards him so he sat up when he saw what she was holding in her hands
"Here, you need this" She pass him his cup and put the plate on the bed.
Then she reach over and lifted the cover and hook it into place so there more light in the cabin then she step back and sat on his chair then each over to pick up muffin
"thanks, but why did you wake me" then he look at his watch then to Kate
"Nav woke me, Charge and his team fix the damage engine the best they could Charge told Nav who woke me up and told me, that when return Charge would need some parts to fix part of the engines"
"Ok I'll call NAVCOM, get charge to write out a list of parts he need and give them to RO to fax them to NAVCOM"
"Ok under your orders"
"Yes" Kate smile
"sure"
"How long do you think it will take to get us home?" Kate thought about it
"If we do fifteen knots, twelve hours"
"ok why don't you take us home" Mike said smiling
"Yes sir, enjoy your muffin"
"i will, I'll be up on the bridge soon as I can"
"Ok" Kate stood up and walk out of his cabin and up to the bridge.
On the way she spoke to Swain and RO before heading to the bridge where She pick up the microphone and turn the PA system to give out the orders for departure plus it would wake the crew up.
