Calypso's Mast

Chapter 17 - Attack

Dawn broke to find Banning hunkered down inside a dense thicket, about fifty metres from the beach compound. It was surrounded by a razor wire topped fence. He was west of the compound but had a good view of it from where he was.

He studied it. It was like a scene out of World War II. The fence was made from X shaped timber with coils of barbed wire and razor wire run through them. Behind the fence was a compound that housed temporary shelters - nothing more than tents. This was a military style setup that had been put up quickly and could be pulled down again, just as quickly.

As soon as it was dawn he saw two men with rifles,  come out of tents in the compound, walk down toward the beach, climb into the microlights, take-off and head north. Good. Two down. How many left?

There were guards inside the perimeter fence but they didn't look too alert. They obviously weren't expecting any action. He didn't recognise anyone. There were four that he could count. There were three marquee tents inside the compound. Beyond the tents, out from the beach, lay the submarine. He estimated it to be about forty metres long. It had an inflatable boat tied alongside and a man pacing up and down the exposed foredeck. Another sentry, he thought. That's five altogether plus two pilots who were now in the air.

There were three vehicles inside the compound, all four-wheel-drive Toyota Landcruiser wagons. Nearby were three off-road trailers and a dozen 205 litre drums. That's where the microlights came from, he thought, and the fuel drums must have come in the third trailer.

Banning considered their situation. They were running out of food. He had left it all with Pitcher. His tummy was rumbling from hunger. Pitcher's feet needed time to heal. His own feet were sore. O'Grady was a prisoner somewhere in the camp in front of him. They had almost nothing in the way of weapons and their opponents were looking for them with vastly superior resources. Just great! They needed a miracle to be able to get out and survive.

At that moment he smelt it. Someone was cooking bacon and onions in the camp. The odour was so delicious. Here he was starving and tired and the bad guys were cooking this fabulous smelling breakfast without a care in the world. He bit his lip in frustration and at that moment, the miracle he was looking for, occurred.

The flap on one of the tents opened and a figure stepped out. He drew a sharp breath as he recognised O'Grady. She had a bandage around her arm and the sentries on duty suddenly looked sharp as she barked commands at them. It took a moment to register what was happening before it dawned on him. 

Damn! She was with them. She was giving orders and they were obeying.

Banning sat back on his haunches digesting this for a few moments. He shook his head, trying to understand this. How could this be? He cast his mind back, thinking of his conversations and experiences. How had he not picked this? She was more reserved than Pitcher. Then he remembered. She wasn't attacked by that meat-head, Charleton back at the creek, only Sonya was, although she was tied up. Maybe she wasn't ready to reveal who she was to Sonya at that point.

He hit his forehead head with the heel of his hand in frustration. How could this be? Not only was she with them, but she seemed to have authority. 

It was time to go. He eased away from his position and keeping the thicket between him and the compound, worked his way westward away from the beach. After a few hundred metres, he turned north.

It was mid-morning by the time he arrived back at the bunker. Pitcher was awake, and stood up when he came in, eager to hear the news.

"What did you see?" she asked.

"They've got four wheel drives, trailers and microlights, as we already knew."

"Yes, I heard them fly over just after dawn. They woke me up. I didn't hear you go, though."