XDSI - 9. XD Ch 9

“Thankyou Xavier, where are your bosses?” I asked, “Mr Sebastian is onboard the yacht, and Sir Lewis in the settlement, and he is not a very happy person?” Xavier replied. “Oh, why is that?” I enquired, “Sir Lewis is filling in as temporary Administrator while the current Administrator is on annual leave,” Xavier replied.

“Yes, that would make him very unhappy indeed, is he at Government House?” I responded, “No Sir that is on Christmas Island, he is meeting with the local shire. We are to collect him on our way back to the yacht,” Xavier said. “Ok, we had better not keep His Excellency waiting then should we,” I said smiling. “You better not let him hear you call him that,” Wyatt whispered to me, and I nodded my head in understanding.

While we enjoyed being in the Indian Ocean Islands, with the yacht crew attending to all of my needs, Sir Lewis spent two weeks working between Christmas Island and the Cocos Keeling Islands, before the yacht set sail for Western Australia, with Sir Lewis very keen to do absolutely nothing but relax.

Our first destination would be Kalbarri, where we will stock up on supplies, plus to drop me and Wyatt off, so that we can fly back to Northam. This is so I can check on the progress of the construction project of the next level of the Swan Tower, while Sebastian, Lewis and crew head out to the Abrolhos Islands for a week of relaxing out there.

Stepping off the Charter flight, we walked directly to the terminal and on entering; we were stopped by a security officer. “You have come from overseas sir? Do you have anything to declare,” the security officer asked me, “No, I do not have anything to declare, as I have not come from overseas, this was a charter flight from Kalbarri to here,” I replied sounding a bit annoyed.

“Tell me, how long have you been working here?” Wyatt asked who was carrying both of our luggage. “About three weeks, but what does that have anything to do with now?” the security officer asked. “Because you have just obstructed the Owner and CEO of this airport,” Wyatt said with a smirk on his face, as I reached over and retrieved the security officer’s two-way radio and the microphone of his belt.

“Helene, please come to the arrivals hall, over,” I said into the radio, “This is Helene, who is this speaking,” came the response, “This is your boss, Alexander Devonport speaking,” I replied, “Oh hell… Ok, on my way,” came the response.

“Err boss, you need to see this,” Wyatt said from near the window where he was looking out to the other side of the airport to where all the aircraft hangers are located, and walked over to the window to where Wyatt was standing to see a line of aircraft parked on the parking apron opposite.

“What the hell is all this?” I asked more to myself than anyone else, as I looked at the four aircraft parked in front of two of the hangers, “Wyatt, get Lewis on the phone for me right away please,” I whispered as I saw Helene approaching.

“You can go now Walter, I will deal with this,” Helene said to the security officer. “No, you will stay right here, until I get some answers, do not move from that spot,” I said reversing Helene’s request. “All security personnel to report to the arrivals hall immediately,” I said into the radio, before handing the radio over to Walter.

“This is Walter, do as Mr Devonport orders, all security to the arrivals hall stat,” Walter said into the radio and I smiled and nodded my head, as I looked over to Wyatt, who was on his mobile and he was describing the aircraft on the parking apron.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was 12.15pm, which meant there is over four hours before the next aircraft movement at the airport, as Wyatt approached and handed my his mobile.

“Lewis, this is Xander, can you get your friends at the Feds to do a check for me please,” I said not bothering to use his official title, which he preferred. “I am already on it cousin in-law, Wyatt has described to us the aircraft on the parking aprons, they sound like they are Leonardo SF-260’s according to the description given, which are military training aircraft.

I have already contacted the Feds in Perth, and they are at least an hour away from there, but there is the Army training base, which has a team there, and they are being activated as we speak. Hold tight and they will be there in ten minutes, and my good friend Kylie, who is a Feds Commander, will be there in fifteen minutes, as she is currently in Toodyay,” Lewis said to me.

“Glad to have the right people on speed dial eh,” I commented, before ending the call. With now five security officers gathered around, my attention was now on Helene. “Walter, I would like you and one other, to detain Ms Helene, until the Federal Police arrive shortly, and don’t take any risks.

In the empty office suite, you will find a detention area; lock her up in there until they arrive. In the mean time, the rest of you, I want to lock down the terminal, no one is to get in or out without my specific personal permission, understood,” I stated to the other security guards.

Suddenly I realised something, and I turned to Wyatt. “Quick, get Lewis back on the phone,” I said to him, “What is the problem boss?” Wyatt asked as he dialled the number, “I’m not sure, but during the last call, I didn’t hear any bird or ocean noises, that would tell me they were on the yacht, instead…” I said before Wyatt cut in.

“They were in a plane, a jet like ours, but where too?” Wyatt said, “Hello cousin, why the sudden call back?” Sebastian asked when he answered the call, “We have just realised that you are not on the yacht,” I replied, and both Sebastian and Lewis chuckled at this.

“Took you long enough to realise it. After you two left, I had this very bad feeling in the pit of my gut, telling me that you were in danger, so I organised another charter plane to come and collect us, we will be there in about half an hour at the most,” Sebastian replied.

“Oh ok, well I guess we will see you then, in the meantime, Helene has been detained and the terminal is in lockdown, and…” I said when I heard Wyatt swear and dash for the secure area behind the counters and through the door to the back, and moments later the steel roller doors, began to quickly close, to stop anyone bursting into the terminal.

“What is that noise?” Sebastian asked me over the phone, “The emergency roller doors closing, we have armed men approaching the terminal, I repeat, we have armed me approaching,” I said to Sebastian, as I dashed towards the counters for cover.

The sound of glass shattering all along the front of the terminal, just moments before the roller doors were completely closed, and there was the sound of gunfire again as bullets pierced the metal, causing more glass to shatter. The gunfire stopped attacking the terminal, but continued outside, as a gun battle continued, and with Wyatt beside me, we headed for the elevator, to head up to the control tower.

“When we arrived, one of the controllers was manning his post and speaking into his microphone, and heading to the security desk, where all the external security cameras are viewed on a line of large monitor screens, we saw a number of planes whizz past very low to the ground.

“Who is the aircraft that is buzzing us?” I asked, “RAAF Hornets sir, from Pearce Airbase, they report eight men armed with automatic guns, firing at them,” the Air Controller responded, as I approached.

“RAAF Aircraft, this is Alexander Devonport, the airport owner and CEO, you have my permission to do what is necessary to stop them, over,” I said into the radio mic from the terminal next to the controller on duty. “Copy that Mr Devonport, we are mainly here to monitor and support the inbound Army unit, over,” “Understood, over,” I said before taking the headphones off.

When my phone rang with a silent number, I almost ignored it, but decided to risk answering the call, “Hello?” I answered cautiously, “Xander, this is Kylie, AFP and good friend of Lewis’s I am approaching the terminal, but there looks to be no way in,” a female voice said over the phone.

“Hey Kylie, come around to the western end of the terminal, there is an emergency exit, that I will have opened for you,” I said to the lady I had only met a few times, but I recognised her voice, and Wyatt dashed down the western end of the terminal to let Kylie inside, as I walked in that direction.

“Hello Wyatt, so good to see you again,” I heard Kylie say when Wyatt opened the door and closed it behind her, just as the door was ripped from Wyatt’s grip as it opened quickly. In a split moment, Kylie ran the three steps to Wyatt, and physically knocked him to the ground, while withdrawing her hidden gun, letting off two rounds into the legs of the man standing at the door with an automatic gun in his hand, which began to ring out a volley of shots.

Next, Kylie dashed towards the man, and kicked away the automatic gun and rolled the man over onto his stomach and handcuffed him. Wyatt looked quite shaken by the ordeal and suddenly his features went all white in shock, and it was then that I felt a very sharp stinging and burning sensation in my left arm.

“Ouch, Kylie, I think I have been shot,” I said as I collapsed onto my knees, while holding my left arm as still as possible, and moments later I blacked out.

“I think he is waking up” I heard a voice say, “Hello Mr Devonport, you are in hospital so you are quite safe, there are some very worried people waiting to see you,” I heard another voice say, and slowly my blurry vision cleared, and I saw Wyatt sitting close beside my bed.

“You had me very worried sir,” Wyatt said to me, “As were we, it is good to see you finally awake,” Sebastian said as he entered the room, “Hi, what happened… why am… oh now I remember, there was an attack on the airport,” I said as my memory came back.

“Yes, a terrorist forced his way inside, and while Kylie brought him down, it wasn’t before he let off a few shots, and you were actually hit three times, once in the shoulder and twice in the upper arm. All eight of them are either dead or injured and detained.

It turns out, that I did not do a proper security check on Helene, who has a half brother, that is a member of the Philippines group known as Ajang-Ajang, which is a cell of the Abu Sayyaf terror group that has links to Islamic State.

Her brother put pressure on Helene, to allow their group to fly in four training aircraft, late one night, following in behind the last scheduled flight in at just before 8 pm two nights ago.

“Helene had informed and convinced the security and air traffic controllers that it was a Malaysia group doing flight training, simular to that of the Singapore Airforce based at Jandakot, and that you had authorised it all a few months back, while you were running the airport,” Sebastian informed me.

“It would not have been discovered, if it wasn’t for your unscheduled and unannounced arrival back, for Wyatt’s spotting of the unusual gathering of four training aircraft, and your quick thinking to get hold of Lewis, who immediately alerted me. Thankfully it was my RDO, so I was at Deepdale, just out of Toodyay, which I have been looking after for Kyle while they are away, when I received the alert from Lewis,” Kylie added.

“The Airforce distracted the eight men long enough for the army to get into place and surround the airport, and soon had them wither, dead, injured and detained, Lewis said to finish off the story. “Wow, so we stopped a possible terror attack on home soil? How long have I been here for?” I asked.

“Yes you did, and you have been in hospital for three days now, and according to the doctors, you are well on the mend, and now you know how I felt when I was shot while on active service,” Lewis said to me smiling, “Yeah, and I don’t want to do that again as it hurts like hell,” I commented.

“No need to worry about the terminal sir, I have every thing under control there, all of the windows have been replaced, and apart from one afternoon and evening of disruptions, with all planes diverted to Jandakot, we are now fully operational again,” Wyatt informed me.

“Was there anyone else at the terminal involved in the plot?” I asked. “As far as we know so far the answer is no, but we are still investigating it. The media have been told via a media statement that a military training exercise involving RAAF Base Pearce and a squadron of its jets, and a full Platoon of Army reservists, had gone a little overboard, during the training exercise.

This resulted in all of the damage to the Avon Valley Airport terminal, which has been fully repaired, and the airport was fully operational again,” Kylie replied. “I also sent out a media statement, saying that the military exercise was given my full permission to be held at the airport, during none operational time of civilian aircraft. I said that as a result of the accidental damage to the terminal, I had waived responsibility for the damages from the Australian Defence, and that I covered the costs of repairs,” Sebastian said.

“In a diplomatic matter, our government has informed the Philippines of the incident, and on accepting an apology from their government, we have ensured them that they are not responsible for the incident, but we have forwarded all information about the men captured, or killed. All of those still alive, are currently being detained at the detention centre on the edge of Northam, with military guards doing all of the security and management of the centre,” Kylie said.

“What about the aircraft? What happens to them?” I asked, “The RAAF has kindly relieved us of those, and they are currently at RAAF Pearce, until a decision is made on what to do with them,” Kylie replied. “I think we should keep them as compensation, since it is a terror group that brought them here in the first place,” Wyatt suggested.

“Hey Lewis, maybe you could suggest to the Governor General and the Federal Government to use them as our defence force in the Indian Ocean Territories,” I suggested, “Not a bad idea, I will pass it along, although I doubt that it will happen,” Lewis replied smiling.

The End