Country Retreat - 61. Big Plans for Country Retreat

On Christmas Eve morning, Marcus returned from an early morning patrol and informed us that there was a large crowd down on the beach, setting up shade shelters/gazebos on the beach, along with tables, chairs and eskies. “How many are there?” I asked sounding concerned as I continued to eat my breakfast. “About twenty or so for a rough guess, without revealing that I was nearby watching them,” Marcus replied.

“Did they have swimming gear and such?” Rebecca asked Marcus, “Everything from scuba gear, snorkelling gear, kayaks and surfboards,” Marcus replied. “I hate to spoil everyone’s holidays, but I think we need to set up a patrol of the beachside boundary for the whole day,” I suggested. “I fully agree with you boss, and I am happy to do that,” Giles responded, and everyone agreed as well.

We organised three-hour long shifts so that the two quad bikes and the buggy were patrolling all of the western boundary as well as part of the southwest and northwest boundaries, and with all the bikes and buggies having UHF radios on them, we would be able to keep track of what is happening. As the first team headed off just before 8 am, I sat down with Giles, Koen, Hugh and Jarrad in the admin centre.

“So guys, what is this conference that has you travelling so far to attend?” I asked my two overseas friends, “Um, I was at the same conference too actually, “Jarrad announced, “Wow, ok. Spill it, what is going on?” I asked, and I heard chuckles from three of my friends. “It was an international Law Enforcement and Intelligence conference, I am now employed by the CSIS – Canadian Security Intelligence Service, and with that I am attached to the NCB – which is the National Central Bureau, which is part of Interpol,” Koen announced.

“Holy moley, that must be very interesting work,” I responded in surprise and Koen smiled and nodded his head, “I am employed by the New Zealand Intelligence Service,” Hugh informed me, “Oh no, I am surrounded by spies,” I said in shock and my friends laughed at this. “They are not the only ones, I am with ASIS – the Australian Security Intelligence Service, and I am also attached to the National Central Bureau, which is part of Interpol,” Jarrad informed me smiling.

“This has got to be a joke right? Three of my friends are spies?” I asked, and my three friends laughed, “No mate, we are all in the Intelligence service, and I have heard along the grapevine that Giles has been accepted to join the AFP – Australian Federal Police, as a Computer Specialist,” Jarrad said in response, just as Giles entered the room. “Is that true? You are joining the AFP?” I asked Giles. “Yes mate, I was just waiting for a good time to tell you,” Giles replied as he sat down.

“Wow, that is incredible, so will this be the last time that we will be together in quite some time?” I asked, “I hope not mate, we actually have something that we want to discuss with you in regards to this place that is sort of related to our work in the intelligence service,” Hugh said to me and I looked at my friends and they nodded their heads to confirm this. “We would like to use this place as a special base, a sort of sub-branch of our agencies, combine our work, resolving specialised situations,” Koen said to me.

“We often have situations, where we have non-criminal people, who are caught up in situations regarding criminal activities, and their lives are in danger from those criminal people, gangs and such, to silence them permanently, so as not to risk their criminal activities,” Jarrad informed me. “And what would we be doing here to help with this?” I asked as I had a sneaky suspicion about what I was going to be asked.

“We would like to make this place a Country Retreat, a safe place for people that are at risk from criminals to live and work for a while until a more permanent situation can be set up?” Hugh suggested. “Would that not put us at risk too?” I asked, “Not with the procedures that we will put into place, where only we would know the exact location of these protectees, and getting them here would be also under very tight protection.

Anyone coming from overseas would travel to Singapore under a temporary identity, with a change of identity while in Singapore, where they would be flown by private jet to Cocos Keeling Island, before joining a commercial flight to Perth, under another identity name. These flights arrive at 11.50 pm on Tuesday nights, and 8.45 pm on Friday Nights via Christmas Island, which would allow them to slip away into the darkness, with the one-hour drive up to the property, where we already have the facilities to accommodate a lot of people,” Hugh said.

“What about Gran and Gramps, we would have to get their approval too,” I said to my friends, “We already approve of this plan grandson, so it is up to you if you want to go ahead with his project,” a new voice said via a mobile that Jarrad was holding, and he pointed it out to me. “Hello Gramps. Are you and Gran ok with this?” I asked.

“Yes Oscar, it is a perfect project that would put the farm and the complex to good use, while helping people that are currently in difficult situations,” Gramps replied, “Wow… What about the costs involved in getting the people here, and also the costs of living?” I asked. “Well, the farm and complex are already self-sufficient, with its supply of hay for the stock, plenty of water for stock and the complex, plenty of fruit and vegetables from the gardens there, and for meat, we just send a couple of stock to be processed and collected afterwards to feed everyone, which we have been doing for some time anyway,” Gramps replied.

“The costs of transporting these people would be a combination of funding from various agencies, who would know that those being assisted are being sent to Singapore, before going further afield to unknown destinations,” Hugh said to me. “Sounds like this has already been fully planned out,” I said, “Most of it yes, and with our team of support staff on hand, we are almost ready to put this plan into action,” Jarrad replied.

“I have been working with Jarrad and Marcus to get most of it planned out, and we have been having weekly online conferences with Hugh and Kyle, and the rest of the team is already fully briefed and ready to assist on a full-time basis, with Rebecca and Lincoln as our Paramedical Staff as well as helping with general operations duties, Jamison and hopefully Hunter to join him as the Catering Staff.

Next, there is Marcus and you as Property and Operations Managers, and the Edgar twins will help you guys during holidays and weekends,” Giles said to me, “Meanwhile, Jarrad, Giles, Hugh and I will be coordinating things from where we are based around the world. Me in BC, Canada, Hugh in Auckland NZ and Jarrad and Giles in Canberra,” Koen added.

“Do you think that this will really work?” I asked, “Yes,” my friends said in unison, which made me smile. “Ok. I will leave the rest of the planning up to you, good luck. We will see you early tomorrow as we call in to travel up to the family farm for Christmas celebrations. The family have been informed that you would not be there this year,” Gramps said before ending the call.

There was a long period of silence as I thought through all this information that I had been told, and how it was going to affect my future. “I guess I had better hurry and get this teaching degree finished, so that I can use my skills there too, if we have any kids that will be living here,” I eventually said. “So, are we a go for this project to launch?” Jarrad asked me, “Why, do you already have some people ready to be brought here?” I asked.

“Yes we do have two, they are brothers, Simon and Tristan Adamson, who are witnesses to a horrible murder, that resulted in the death of their parents who tried to protect their boys when the mobsters came looking for them. Luckily the parents had sent the boys to stay with relatives as soon as they learnt about what they had seen. When we became involved after the two bodies of the parents were discovered, and we eventually located the two boys, we managed to get the full story of what happened, and the boys have been in protective custody ever since, with multiple attempts on their lives having already taken place,” Koen informed me.

“So won’t that put us at risk too, being in danger when they learn where these two brothers are being hidden?” I asked, “No chance of that my friend, as we have put procedures into place that means only us here are the only ones who know exactly where they are, and since there is no paper trail of us being on this property, and with us using cash only to pay for goods or anything, and avoiding all security cameras outside of the city, we are confident that no one on this property is at risk,” Jarrad said to me.

“OK, let's put this discussion on hold for now, and concentrate on what is happening right now. How are things going out on the boundary?” I said aiming the question to Giles. “Yes mate, I just did a radio check with the three team members out at the moment, before I came in here, and all is good,” Giles replied. During the day we took turns doing patrol shifts, and as a precaution, we decided to continue this for some of the evening as well, which was just as well, as shortly after 8 pm, the call came over the radio.

“Mobile to base, assistance required at approximately 240 metres east of the southern pedestrian gate, over,” we heard Giles say, and with me having a portable UHF radio with me, I responded, “Copy that Mobile two, help is on its way, over,” I replied, as I jumped up and dashed towards the other part of the complex, where the vehicles are all located, with the rest of the team following me. “Mobile One and Three, stay in position, we will handle this, over,” I added over the radio.

“Copy that boss, over” Keon and then Hugh replied. In the garage, we had my 4WD vehicle, as well as two Toyota Farm Utes, plus all of the personal vehicles of the team, were I jumped into my vehicle with Lincoln joining me, as he instructed his brother Jamison to remain at the complex and make sure that it is locked down tight after we left.