Indian Ocean Invasion - 6. IOI Chapter 6

Almost an hour later, I finally recognised the spot where I needed to get onto the walkway, but by now I could hear soldiers, and I was forced to crawl back deeper into the forest to stay out of sight.

Just when I felt that it was safe to move, the rain came down heavily, and taking advantage of it, I quickly crawled towards the walkway, stopping for a moment to listen for any footsteps, before jumping up onto the walk way, taking half a dozen steps, grabbing the hidden rope, and swinging back into the forest.

As soon as I reached the first log, I lay flat down on the log, as I heard running and shouting, my heart beat was making a lot of noise, as I lay silent, and I hoped that it wouldn’t be heard, then I decided that I was being silly, and I smiled to myself, as I kept laying still.

The soldiers were very close by, I could hear them talking, and the words “Sectoring di sini” – Someone is out here, which meant that I had been spotted, which I was very annoyed about, and a few wild single shots were fired in different directions, some of them just over my head, but I stayed still.

After nearly half an hour, the soldiers went off looking towards the coast, and I quickly swung to the treehouse, and scooted up the rope. Mitchell was laying on his bed shaking badly, and I quickly moved to his bed and wrapped him in a hug.

“I am sorry that I was away for so long, it was a lot more difficult than I thought to get back, and I think they spotted me, that is why they fired those shots,” I said softly to my nephew.

After about twenty minutes, Mitchell fell asleep, and I remained at his bedside, watching him sleep, and as I did, I decided that I would not leave Mitchell alone again, as it is too risky.

After a quick change into dry clothes, and a cup of hot tea to warm me up, I lay on the floor next to Mitchell’s bed, and listened to all the sounds around the treehouse, including the slow steady breathing of Mitch sleeping.

When I heard his breathing change, I sat up and watched as Mitchell slowly opened his eyes. “Do you feel a bit better now?” I asked my nephew in a whisper, and he smiled and nodded his head. “I won’t be going away from here again, unless it is with you, so you don’t need to worry anymore,” I said to Mitch, as I indicated to him to follow me to the store room.

Once the door was closed, I located the sat phone and turned it on, and I was about to call the colonel, when the sat phone quietly rang, and I answered it and listened. “Hello, is this the bloke who threw a sock over the fence last night?” a man’s voice asked, and I chuckled.

“Yes, that would be me, but no names, in case this is being traced, I presume you are a permanent resident of the island?” I replied, “Yes sir, a local government official, and you?” the man replied, “On holidays, been on the island since before the cyclone hit, do you have any information I can relay to the mainland?” I replied.

“Yes sir, they are from the Philippines and Indonesia, they are heavily armed, and have control of the whole island, they are going to make all the fit men to work in the mine, they are looking after us, with two meals a day. A few have been hurt because they tried to argue with our captors, but we are doing our best to treat them,” the man replied.

“Understood, I will relay this information to the mainland, do as they tell you, so no one else gets hurt, and keep that thing a secret, well-hidden and turned off, call me back at 1800 hours, Lima Sierra Out,” I said before ending the call, and looking over to my nephew. “Well that was interesting, as I guessed they are going to get the mine operational again, and they plan to use all the fit men to do all the labour,” I commented.

“Lt Commander Lewis Shaw for the Colonel,” I said after dialling the number for the barracks and being connected. “Lewis, I understand your concern about a leak at the base, but it gives you no right to speak to me that way… don’t let me hear you do it again,” the Colonel said to me, “Yes sir, I do apologise, it is just I am meant to be on holidays, and recovering from injuries, and I am stuck in the middle of a damn war again,” I replied.

“Yes, I understand your frustration, now any more news?” the Colonel asked, “Yes sir, I managed to throw my socks over the detention centre fence, accidentally hitting one of the local resident detainees, inside, I had placed my mobile phone, after removing all numbers except the number for the sat phone, in the sock.

I have just spoken to someone who has the phone, we decided not to use names, in case it is traced, although he mentioned that he is a local government official. He will call me back at 1800 hours tonight.

The local official said that all fit men will be made to work at the mine, and he confirmed that they are from the two countries I mentioned earlier, and that they are heavily armed,” I informed the Colonel.

“Well that just about does it. We have put a stop to all flights to Christmas Island, but flights to the Cocos Keeling Islands will continue, and all boats have been warned to stay clear of Christmas Island.

We still have managed to keep the media away so far, but they are crying blue murder to try and find out more, but we are not sure how long that … hang on there is a new bulletin coming on,” the Colonel said, and I heard it being turned up. “We interrupt the regular programme, to bring you this news just in hand.

A large invasion force from Asia, has taken over control of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, just hours after Cyclone Jack has passed by the island. The island was caught totally by surprise by the invasion, so soon after the Category three cyclone passed close by to the island.

It is understood that all the residents have been rounded up and taken to the vacant immigration detention centre. Due to the cyclone threat, it is believed that all the visiting tourists had been evacuated back to the mainland, before the cyclone arrived, leaving approximately 2150 residents on the island during the invasion, which occurred in the early hours of yesterday morning.

A local resident, who avoided being caught, is currently loose somewhere on the island, and has contacted those in the detention centre, and is somehow in contact with the mainland, there will be more as it come to hand…”

“Sir, I think I know what has happened, I think someone else in the detention centre has learnt of the mobile phone and made a call to the mainland, I will see what I can do to stop that from happening again,” I said when the Colonel returned to the phone. “You do that, and keep your head down, no doubt the invasion force has also seen or heard that news broadcast too,” the Colonel said before ending the call.

“Well that really does it, we are stuck here in the treehouse, until we can work out a way to get off the island,” I said to my nephew after the call. After lunch, we took a nap on our beds, since we had both had very little sleep during the night, and it was getting later in the afternoon, before I eventually woke, to find Mitchell reading his book.

“Hey Mitch, did you get enough sleep?” I whispered, and he nodded his head yes, “We are going to have to go without power, as it is too risky to have the fridge and other appliances going, so while we have power, I suggest that you charge up your mobile and whatever you have, but make sure that everything is on silent, so we don’t get detected by the invasion forces,” I said to Mitchell.

When it came to 6pm, I turned on the sat phone, and almost right away the phone began vibrating with an incoming call. “Hello sir, we spoke earlier, I am sorry to report that I was over powered by one of the residents, and they used the mobile phone twice before returning it to me,” the caller announced.

“Listen to me, and listen good, there is a high chance that the invasion force either saw or heard a news broadcast earlier today, which revealed that a person from inside the detention centre, contacted people on the mainland.

If they have, they will be looking for that mobile phone. After this call, I want you to delete this number, then remove the SIM card and destroy it, as best as you can and bury the remains, then destroy the mobile and get rid of it somehow, possibly throw it over the fence into the forest, or flush it, if you can.

I will do my best with the contacts I have to get this invasion force off the island, but it may take time. Goodbye and good luck,” I said before ending the call and turning off the Sat phone.

After dinner, I sat down in the cane chair, as did Mitchell, and we stared out into the forest, with the fading light of day, and the downpour of monsoonal rain. Thankfully the rain was heavy and noisy, which allowed us a little bit of cover, to be able to use the bathroom for ablutions and a shower each.

Once we had both done this, we headed to bed, to try and get a good night’s sleep, unsure what tomorrow will bring.

During the night a thunderstorm swept across the island, and I watched it from the veranda of the treehouse, and I also spotted several flashlights flickering in the distance, revealing soldiers who were searching for people that had escaped being captured, meaning Mitchell and I, which worried me.

I eventually managed to return to bed and get some sleep, waking up at daybreak to the sounds of the forest announcing the start of a new day, with plenty of heat and humidity. While Mitchell was still sleeping, I went into the store room and closed the door, before turning on the Sat phone and calling Campbell Barracks, and requesting to speak to Colonel Bridges.

“Well sailor, what do you have to report?” the Colonel asked when he came onto the phone, “Sir, I called the person who I spoke to before, he told me he was overpowered, and that a man made two calls to the mainland, you may want to try and trace who that person called. I instructed the caller to delete the number, before destroying the sim card, then the phone itself, and getting rid of them.

Last night, during the thunderstorm here, I noticed many hostiles in my area, searching very thoroughly, but thankfully, I am far enough away from the main path to Martin Point, that I haven’t been found.

There is a resort lodge just north of Martin point, which has three Eco Cabins, that may be used by the invasion forces as temporary accommodation for those guarding this side of the island.

I know that before the cyclone came by, most of the furniture, including all the white goods were removed for safe storage, in a shed at the village, so they only have a basic empty cabin, with a bathroom, water and solar lighting, but that may be enough for them to make it a permanent lookout base, for the western side of the island.

I was thinking sir, my half-brother, Jeremy Hughes, knows my exact location on the island, as he is part owner of the Resort Lodge here on the island, if you contact him, he will be able to assist, if you want to get some of your SAS men onto the island, just get them to bring extra food supplies, as I have a limited amount to last for a few weeks at the most,” I said to the Colonel.

“I will consider that information and will get back to you on that,” the Colonel replied, “Sir, if you do, I suggest that you land on the south west side of the island, about 4 km’s east of the south west end, where this is a small peak. That area is very rugged and remote, and my location is almost due north of that position, 600 metres north of Martin Point and about 400 metres inland from Swell Lodge” I said.

“Very good, I will look at that possibility and let you know, bye for now” the Colonel said, and he ended the call. I called Jeremy to update him on what is happening. “Hey bro, I was starting to get worried that you wouldn’t call us,” Jeremy said when he answered the call.

“A lot of shit has been happening on the island since we last spoke, all the local residents have been rounded up and now are in the detention centre, the three lodge cabins are being use for accommodating guards who are patrolling this end of the island.

I did a scouting trip to the Detention centre a couple nights ago, and threw over my spare mobile, to get in contact with the local residents, and unfortunately another resident used the phone to call the mainland, that is why there was that news broadcast earlier.

I got back to them to tell them to destroy the phone, and patrols of this area have increased, as I was watching them searching last night during the thunderstorm we had here. You may get a call from a Colonel Bridges, he is from the SAS at Campbell Barracks, he may ask for your assistance, in getting a SAS team onto the island.

I have recommended a location 4 km’s south of here, as a landing site, but he may ask you for more info,” I said to Jeremy, just as the store room door opened and Mitchell walked in.

“I think the place you suggested is perfect, but it will be fairly tough getting through that forest,” Jeremy replied, “Your son has just got up, I will let you talk to him, talk later,” I said before handing the Sat phone over to Mitchell, so he could speak to his father.

Once Mitchell had finished talking to his father, and turning the Sat phone off, he came out of the store room and sat in the cane chair next to me. “I think I convinced my dad that I am safe with you, and I promised that I will do what you tell me to do, to keep me safe,” Mitchell said to me, after a short period of silence.

“We may have the pleasure of some company from the mainland, courtesy of Colonel Bridges at SAS Command in Perth, but we will know more when it has been organised,” I informed my nephew.

“You are no ordinary Navy seaman are you uncle?” Mitchell asked, and I smiled, “No, I am not, but unfortunately I cannot tell you what I do in the Navy as it is Top Secret, you just have to trust me” I replied, and Mitchell nodded his head in understanding. “I wonder if my dad will let me join the Navy, so I can be like my uncle?” Mitchell said to me after some thought, and this made me chuckle softly.

“After all of this is over, you may not want to be involved in any sort of military training, let’s just wait and see what the outcome is here, and you have a few more years of education under your belt,” I responded, “Ok Uncle, I guess I can do that” Mitchell replied smiling.