Country Retreat - 70. Officials visit the farm

“I see nothing else on the property apart from the machinery shed, and that viewing platform, plus the windmills and stock. I am presuming you didn’t get permission to have that platform built?” the Ranger asked, “No, we wanted to keep the place free of too many buildings, we removed all the old sheds and yards at the top and now it is just farmland and natural bushland. We have also spent a lot of time planting more trees on the property to protect it from wind erosion,” I commented.

“Yes, I did notice that. Ok, I think we can ignore the minor matter of an unpermitted decking platform, just apply for it and include detailed plans and photos of it, so that it can be filed,” the Ranger informed me, as he landed the drone near the vehicles, and we walked back up to the gate, which I locked behind me before I followed them back to the vehicles, and as they drove off back towards the gate, I followed them to the machinery shed, where I stopped, as Hunter and Marcus were working on the front-end loader.

“They found the decking, but didn’t notice anything else, even after a few flyovers over the complex, the Ranger just told me to get a permit to have the decking there on the property so it is official,” I said to Marcus and Hunter, and Marcus gave a short laugh. “If only they knew what is really hidden on that hillside,” he commented, which had all of us laughing, as we watched them exit the property.

“I think we will wait until dark before we remove the lockdown, just to be sure that they have left for good. Marcus, did you notice the other four smaller buttons on the panel?” I said as we watched them leave, with the gate automatically closing behind them. “I did, one said Solar, the second was labelled Roof, the third said Front and the last one was labelled Main Door,” Marcus replied.

“If you press one or two of them before hitting the main button to open or lockdown, it will not be included, so if you hit the solar and roof buttons before the open button, the Solar panels will remain stored away, and the roof will remain closed,” I explained. “Got it, good to know,” Marcus replied. “What now boss?” Hunter asked, “Well, I am going to go and unlock the main and front doors, but I will keep the roof and solar panels locked for now until we know that there is no more snooping going on,” I replied.

“We will finish changing the oil on this beast before returning to the complex,” Marcus said, and I walked back to my vehicle. Once I had parked my vehicle near the platform, I walked back to the other end of the complex, and along the top to the hatch, where I entered and once back at the Admin building, I unlocked the main and front doors. “Are we all clear now?” Rebecca asked me as she entered the building a few moments later. “Yes, but I am keeping the solar panels and roof closed just in case the ranger sends the drone back up in the air again, as he said he had an hour for the drone to be used,” I replied.

About fifteen minutes later, “Marcus to Boss, over,” the call came over the radio, “Copy you, Marcus, over,” I responded, “You were right to be cautious boss, the drone just passed over the top of the shed and is heading in your direction, over,” Marcus reported, “Thanks mate, over,” I responded, as I headed to the front of the building, where I knew Rebecca and our current protectees were spending some time on the deck.

“Everyone inside, right now, Becca, you stay please,” I said as I exited the front door onto the decking, and Simon, Tristan, Julia and the boys headed inside right away, grabbing what they brought out with them in the process so the decking looked like it was before. “Damn them, I can’t get this front door closed before the drone gets here, let’s go for a walk to try and distract them away from the decking,” I said to Rebecca, as we stepped off the decking and headed down the slope a little bit.

When we heard the drone, we both looked up and watched it as it buzzed over the decking but didn’t hover as we expected it to do, as it swung around to the south of where we were standing, and continued looking around the compound region, before heading back the way that it came.

“That was a very lucky call, just as well Marcus heard the drone and reported it to me,” I commented, as we walked back to the decking which remained empty, and once inside, we saw the boys, Simon and Tristan kicking a soccer ball on the field with Julia watching nearby.

“I wonder if we could get a jamming device for drones to stop them snooping around,” Rebecca asked, “I was thinking the same thing, my friend, I will ask Giles when I speak to him next,” I said as my phone buzzed with a message. “There will be a 24-hour delay for the new arrivals leaving Singapore, will explain later. Hope it is ok for them to continue their journey to you, Giles,” the message read and I groaned.

“What is it now?” Rebecca asked me, “It looks like I have no choice with accepting the newest arrivals, but they will be delayed in Singapore for 24 hours, according to Giles. I guess that he is on his way there to meet them there and assist them with the last stage of the trip,” I replied. “Do you have any more information on these new arrivals?” Rebecca asked me, “Only what was mentioned earlier,” I replied as I looked around the place.

“Oh no! What are you thinking now?” Rebecca asked me, and I chuckled at this comment. “I have been thinking, this place needs to be a bit better organised. For one the desalination plant needs to be a bit bigger, and include two larger water storage tanks, which should go in next door, and here we should make this park into a smaller recreation park, and have the Dining hall and kitchen over against the wall facing the tunnel entry, with the open space between the two into a sort of community plaza of sorts.

With the relocation of the sports hall and stadium, we will have room for an additional two additional family pods and two more single female pods, with an extra bedroom in each pod. The single men’s pods will also have an extra bedroom, with just 4 pods as well, while there will be six pods to accommodate a total of 12 general staff, that’s in addition to the already in use two senior and one master staff pods,” I announced, having worked on these ideas in between everything else happening in my life at the moment.

Where are all these extra staff pods going to fit, and what is happening with the sports oval?” Hunter asked me, after joining us on the balcony outside, and I chuckled as I was waiting for that question. “That my friend, is where we will have an additional third cavern, located on the other side of the main cavern, which will house all the single men pods, the general staff pods, the staff recreation hall and lounge, several recreation parks and water features, plus the main sports field with a small stadium at each end,” I announced.

“Wow, that sounds expensive,” Rebecca commented, “Yes, but it has already been planned and budgeted by my grandparents, so we can accommodate 18 staff and 44 guests in total, so that in the future, when there will be a need to change the direction in the use of these facilities, we will have the capabilities to change over, without too much hassle at all,” I commented.

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Rebecca asked. “Well, I don’t see this project of protecting people from criminals lasting for very long, so we have been working on plans to be able to change directions of sorts and turn the complex into an Outdoor Education Centre,” I replied. “Wow, didn’t see that one coming. Will you be offering the place to general community groups or do you have other ideas on who will use the place,” Hunter asked.

“No, not community groups, we will be aiming more for private school groups, sort of like what a private school in Geelong has out in the country, where there will be education-based activities, as well as fun activities,” I replied. “So, I guess that means building a heap of obstacle courses, orienteering courses and such?” Hunter commented, and I nodded my head yes. “We will use the natural bushland areas for that, so to keep using the grazing areas for farming still, as that too can be part of the education programme,” I responded.

The following morning, my mobile rang, as we sat down for breakfast together, and the caller ID was Jarrad. “Hello mate, where in this wide world are you now?” I asked as I answered the call, and I heard Jarrad chuckling, “As you may have guessed, I am with the group of three, we are boarding the flight shortly, so we will see you at the end of the day. Will you arrange for someone to come and collect us from JB please?” Jarrad replied.

“Sure mate I can organise that for you, we will see you when you arrive. Have a safe trip,” I responded, “I sent you some details via email, with the password being your Gramp’s first name, catch you later mate,” Jarrad said before ending the call. After breakfast, I headed to my office in the admin building, and I had Hunter come and join me to see what information had been sent.

“Alison Brandis, aged 37 years old, first son – Willis Brandis aged 16 years, Father deceased. Evan Brandis aged 9 years, Father unlisted. Both sons witnessed the murder of a witness who was going to testify against these criminals, who have got away with the main charges because there are no more witnesses to those crimes, but the Brandis Family are now witnesses to the newer crime of that murder,” I said as I read the information in front of me.

“Wow, that sounds like a real twisted mob of criminals,” Hunter commented, “I agree, and it worries me that we are putting ourselves at risk for just protecting them,” Rebecca added when she joined us, “which is why I want to change the purpose of this place,” I added as looked at my watch. “A 2-hour flight to Christmas Island, then 3.5 hours flight to Jurien Bay, so it will be almost 2 pm when they arrive,” I commented. “So that is what he meant by JB, does that mean they are taking a private charter from Singapore for the full distance?” Hunter asked, and I nodded my head yes.