Kakadu Storm

By Harry Dodgson

When the aircraft carrying Michael and his young crashes in Arnhem Land, a vast uninhabited jungle in tropical Australia, they believe that the they will be found soon. They don't know that the search is delayed because the monsoon has started.
Michael's wife Patricia then goes to Arnhem Land and will search on foot, aided by two aborigine friends, skilled trackers.
They do not know that others are in Arnhem Land. Wildlife poachers and a group of Terrorists who are on their way to Sydney to commence a reign of terror.
The terrorists take Michael's son hostage to force him to act as their guide, but things do not always go according to plan.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harry Dodgson
• Release date: Feb 14, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310378249

Harry Dodgson

I am a retired electronics engineer, now living in a small town 50 kilometers from Sydney, Australia.

Book preview

Foreword

Arnhem Land, named after the Dutch East Indies ship Arnhem, is a vast wilderness in the tropical north east of Australia. The Arnhem arrived there in 1623 and was the first European ship to navigate and chart the tropical north of Terra Australis.

The Yolngu people, who have lived in the area for the past 50,000 years or more, recorded this event by rock paintings. These rock paintings can still be seen today in caves, and in the overhangs of the rock outliers, in excellent condition even after several hundred years.

In the history of mankind, this is the longest habitation by human beings of any area in the world

For many millennia, Arnhem Land was the busy hunting and fishing ground of many thriving aboriginal communities. Since the arrival of the white man however; and the subsequent urbanization of the Aborigines, it is now almost uninhabited.

Nowadays, there are very few aboriginal communities in Arnhem Land, an area of over 91,000 square kilometers. So, almost the only people that set eyes on the natural, unspoiled beauty of this land are the very occasional tourist fishing boat, and the park rangers that cruise by every few months or so. But they rarely set foot on the land. Sometimes though, other people do arrive and go ashore, but that is almost always in secret.

MAIN CHARACTERS.

Michael Prendergast Hunting Lodge owner

Patricia Prendergast Michael’s Wife

Thomas Prendergast Michael’s Young Son.

Kathryn Grayson Michael’s Sister

Kenneth Walters Owner and Pilot

Walter Hendricks Second Passenger

Nungah Aboriginal Tracker

Banjory Aboriginal Tracker

WILD LIFE POACHERS

Kusnadi Ship Captain/Owner

Lestari Kusnadi’s Wife

Harta Kusnadi’s Brother

Hartanto Fisherman

Guntar Diesel Mechanic

Putra Fisherman

Suharto Fisherman

Sukarno Farm worker

Yuda Farm worker

TERRORISTS

Hakeem Mohammad Mission Leader, cleric

Khairat Jamail Weapons Expert

Mubaarak Ibrahim Terrorist

Tauqeer Afzal Seaman, captain

Abdul Nawaz-Amiri Suicide Bomber

Mahmoud Ghani Explosives Expert

Zarif Aziz Terrorist,

Zarif Shad Ishak Suicide Bomber

Iftikhaar Abdul Suicide Bomber

Amir Dar-Yousif Suicide Bomber

Amen-Baddour First Driver

Abdul Mateen Ramadan Second Driver

Chapter 1

It was shortly after dawn the when the first boat arrived off the coast of Arnhem Land. Although the sun was shining brightly the enormous, black clouds on the horizon, which were being blown in their direction by the dying remnants of the recent storm, warned of heavy rain during the day. Although the captain was anxious to cross the reef and enter the estuary as soon as possible, he knew that to rush carelessly over the reef could invite disaster.

The temperature was quite warm, over thirty five degrees Celsius with high humidity, Quite common for mid November in these latitudes as he knew. But the strong sea breeze made it quite pleasant for the men, chattering noisily as they lazily leaned on the bulwarks of the boat; watching the tree lined beach getting nearer.

There were nine people on the boat. The captain Kusnadi, his wife Lestari, plus a crew of four men who were experienced fishermen. Also on board were two farmers from the same village as Kusnadi, but neither had any seagoing experience, and both of them had been laid low with seasickness for much of the voyage. Lastly was Guntar, a diesel mechanic, who had been persuaded to come in order to keep the engine running smoothly. He had modified it to get more speed, but the modifications he had performed, while it had made the boat a little faster, it had also made the engine somewhat unreliable, having broken down twice in the time they had travelled to this place, delaying them considerably.

The first part of their journey was almost done, for immediately in front of them, just a short five hundred meters away, was a dazzling white coral beach stretching from horizon to horizon, fringed for most of its length by coconut palms. But to reach it, they first had to get past the coral reef immediately ahead of them, which was being pounded by heavy surf. In those parts of the reef that were more exposed to sea, the waves were reaching a height of several meters.

The surf is higher than I expected, Yuda said. It looks dangerous. I’m not looking forward to going through it.

Yes, it is very high, although that isn’t normal for this area, it’s the result of the storm we have just been through. Kusnadi said. However; once we get past the reef, the lagoon will be very calm. I expect that when we are ready to leave, in three or four days, we’ll have no trouble crossing the reef, by then the sea will be as smooth as a millpond. And, once we land, there are the birds and animals we have come to take. I think we’ll make a lot of money on this trip.

I hope so, I need it for my farm back home, things have been very difficult for me lately. I need to get new equipment which is very expensive. Also, I want to make enough money to buy some more land as well. Yuda said. I’ll be glad to set foot on firm ground again. I’ve been on this boat almost a week and only just getting over the seasickness. It will be a pleasure to eat food without having to hold the plate in one hand whilst eating with the other, then vomiting most of it up.

Kusnadi laughed.

That couldn’t be helped. he said. If we had sailed openly, during the day as well as the night, we could have got here much sooner, no more than two days. But it is almost certain the Australian coast guard would have seen us. And they would either turn us back, or most likely take us to prison, fine me a lot of money, and confiscate the boat. I would have made this last section of the voyage in the night time too, if it hadn’t been for this reef. Crossing it in the dark would have been far too dangerous with this surf.

Prison is no big deal, Yuda said. I’ve been in one or two jails in the past, and I’ve heard that Australian prisons are nowhere as bad as those back home in Indonesia.

Perhaps not, but I don’t want to go in one. Kusnadi snapped. And, don’t forget this is my boat and I don’t want to lose it, nor do I want a fine. Which is why we had these precautions on the way here; and we’ll have the same on our way back home.

***

Each day, during the day light hours, they had anchored close to an island to avoid being noticed by any patrolling aircraft and ship. Then, as the sun sank below the horizon, they would creep from island to island. When dawn broke, they dropped anchor and sought the close protection of the nearest island. This voyage across the Arafura Sea, which they could have been completed in two days if they could have sailed openly, had taken them six. Now, the most dangerous part of their journey, crossing the coral reef, was immediately in front of them.

Kusnadi, who was head man of the village from which all the men on board had come, moved to stand in the wheel house next to the man at the wheel.

He pointed at the distant line of surf. Can you see the gap in the reef, where the breakers are not quite as high?

The steersman, Hartanto nodded. Yes. You are sure this is the right place? If you are wrong...

He didn’t finish the sentence. He was aware that if they misjudged the surf and tried to cross the reef where the water wasn’t so deep, the razor-sharp coral could strip the bottom from the boat, and it was unlikely that anyone would survive in that maelstrom of boiling water in front of them.

Yes, I am certain, Kusnadi said. This will be the third time I’ve been here, I know the place well.

But he knew what Hartanto was thinking, and understood his fears.

Kusnadi grasped hold of the rail as the prow reached the edge of the reef; he knew what was about to occur.

Hold on, everyone, he called out.

As the boat ploughed into the surging water, the bows rose sharply upwards, at the same time rolling to one side at a steep angle. Then the stern followed when, for the briefest of time, the boat was stationery as it balanced on the top of the huge wave. This was followed by a stomach churning ride as they slid down the wave towards the lagoon, at the same time the ship tilted to the other side. Then the bows dug into the water, causing a large wave to rush over the bows, flooding across the deck. The ship rocking from side to side as it slid down the waves to enter the calmer water of the lagoon. The men were now thigh deep in surging seawater. Sukarno and Yuda, who were not used to the sea, and who had been leaning on the bulwarks, hadn’t anticipated how much the ship would roll, and so weren’t holding tightly enough to the bulwarks. They were thrown sprawling on to the deck to be washed towards the stern amid a tangle of limbs, amid gales of laughter from the other men, and themselves as they rose sheepishly to their feet.

They wouldn’t be laughing if they had broken a limb, or got washed overboard. Hartanto said. And I’ve seen that done a few times by seamen that weren’t prepared. Look over there. He pointed a short way ahead where the large dorsal fin of a shark could be seen cutting fast across the surface of the lagoon.

Kusnadi stuck his head out of the wheelhouse window.

Get up. He shouted. And hold on to something firm, if anyone breaks a leg or arm, they will get no money when we get back home.

As the boat settled on an even keel, gliding forward smoothly in the calm waters of the lagoon, Kusnadi pointed ahead to the coconut trees fringing the beach.

Can you see the gap in the trees, immediately ahead? He said.

Hartanto nodded.

That’s where we are heading, and we are almost on time for slack water. Keep at this distance from the shore for the next half hour when it will be high tide. In the meantime, just keep us in this position. I’ll keep an eye on the time, and let you know when the tide is at its peak. Then you must steer for the centre of the gap, keeping a steady but slow speed. There is a sand bar across the mouth of the river which we can only cross at slack water, when the tide is at its highest peak and is about to turn. Then, for about ten minutes there will be no current. he looked at his watch. We’ve timed it quite well really. It will be high tide in just a few minutes when we will have about half a meter clearance below the keel. That will be more than enough, but there is always a possibility that the river’s silted up since I was last here. I will keep an eye on the depth of the water and will call out if it’s becoming shallow enough to pose a danger of running aground. If that happens, be prepared to go astern quickly.

Kusnadi moved to the rail at the bows, leaning over it to look into the water. The water is crystal clear. I can see the bottom quite well, he called out. It is shoaling rapidly, reduce speed to the barest minimum, we’ll be safely over the bar in a few seconds.

He felt somewhat nervous as he saw how quickly the bottom was rising, if the river had silted up, the boat would become aground, when it could easily be seen by any passing boat.

After a short time he turned to Hartanto. We are over the bar and in deeper water, increase speed slightly and, about 100 meters along the river we will go into a tributary you will see on the right. That part of the river is deep enough for a length of over 200 meters. Both banks are heavily forested, so can will moor under the trees which will screen us from any passing ship or patrolling aircraft.

Kusnadi glanced at the sky, it hadn’t rained for several weeks, but the rising humidity in the air warned that the dry season would soon be over. The dark tinges on the bottom of some of the clouds forewarned of the imminent summer monsoon. He knew that when that happened, torrential rains would swamp the land, and vast floods will inundate huge areas. He wanted to be safely home in Indonesia long before that happened.

There is the river. Kusnadi said, pointing to the right.

Are you sure? Hartanto said. All I can see is a wall of tall, green grass, and it looks like solid ground, not water.

It’s okay, just head towards it, and keep your speed to minimum. The tributary is there, on your right although it is difficult to see until you get very close.

To Hartanto, as the boat approached, the grassy banks seemed to slide apart as the mouth of a small river came into view.

It’s well hidden, how did you find this in the first place? Hartanto said as he adjusted the speed of the boat.

It was about three years ago when I first came here. We were fishing just a couple of miles off shore one day when a storm blew us onto the reef, tearing a large hole in the boat. I had crew of four and we were almost drowned. But a couple of aborigines who were fishing in the lagoon saved us. They got us onto the shore, at great risk to themselves, and we stayed with them for several days until we were able to get to Darwin. Once there, I was repatriated home. I never forgot this place and when I was asked to get Australian wildlife, I knew this was the place to go for it, and this will be the third time I’ve been here. We’re near the bank now, so you can turn the engine off, and allow the boat to move forward under its own impetus, over there. Kusnadi pointed.

Hartanto switched the engine off, allowing it to coast to a standstill close to and alongside the side of the river.

As the bow touched the sand with a soft crunching noise, Kusnadi called out. Sukarno, go ashore and secure the boat to the trees, fore and aft.

One of the men leapt over the gunwale, and tied the forward mooring rope to a convenient tree. Then a rope from the rear of the boat was tossed to him, he pulled on it until the boat was lying parallel to and close to the river’s edge, then he tied the rope to a convenient tree.

Anyone who wants to go ashore to stretch their legs can do so now. Kusnadi said. We needn’t worry about being seen by the Australian aircraft that patrol this area. The trees will screen us. As he spoke, everyone climbed over the side to stand on the river bank, laughing and chattering together.

Kusnadi, who was the head man in their village, and captain of the boat, was the penultimate person to climb on to the shore. Squatting on the ground in the shade of a eucalyptus tree, he watched impassively as his younger brother Harta, the last man on the boat, passed several bundles to them, then clambered over the side to join the rest of the crew on the beach.

He was pleased to notice that, without being instructed, his wife had set up the cooking equipment in the shade of the trees, and had started to make a meal for them. Due to the unexpected rough seas during the voyage, the trip to Australia had taken longer than they had expected. As a result, they hadn’t had a hot meal since leaving their village; in fact some of them they had eaten very little. Although those that were experienced sailors hadn’t had any problems, the two men that hadn’t been to sea previously had suffered badly from sea-sickness.

He turned to face the group. Listen to me, everyone. We have to work fast, and leave this place as soon as possible. I want to leave in four days at the most, less if we can possibly manage it. We all know that the Australians do not like anyone catching and taking their wild animals and birds, so we must not let them catch us in this place, and the longer we are here, the higher is the chance of them doing so. If they do, then what we are doing here will mean a fine and a long jail sentence for everyone. Do not forget, they have aircraft that patrol the area regularly; it would not be wise to let them see us. We also know that their patrol boats pass this area from time to time so, if you go onto the beach, make sure there are no boats in the ocean that can see you, and do not light any fires. It is certain that someone would come to investigate if there was smoke in the air, Australians are very conscious of bush fires. Lestari is preparing meals so, as soon as you have eaten, start to assemble the cages and traps. In the morning we will start to catch the birds and animals, then return home as soon as we can. As many of the creatures we want are nocturnal, we must put several of the cages in the bushes before dark, we should be able to get some lizards; perhaps a tiger quoll or two, they would be a real bonus. They are worth an amazing amount of money. Then, in the morning, we’ll rig nets to catch the parrots. With luck, we will fill all our requirements and will be able to leave in two days, three at the very most. I certainly don’t want to be here any longer than that.

Then I’d better get busy, Suharto said. If someone would help me to assemble my crocodile traps, I could get them laid out before dark. I could have the first crocodiles killed and skinned by noon tomorrow. At over $250 each, the skins are more profitable than most of the other creatures we catch.

Yuda, and Hartanto, Kusnadi said. Help Suharto to take the crocodile traps further down the river. Take them at least 2 kilometers away, the last thing we need is to encourage the crocodiles to come near us. Before you leave see Lestari, she brought some old chickens to use to bait the traps, they are going bad, so the smell will be strong enough to attract them. When you’ve done that, you can come back here and help set the traps for the small marsupials. We should catch a number of them tonight; they are most active during the dark hours.

Guntar laughed, shaking his head as he carried the dismantled cages off the boat, placing them on the ground in preparation to assembling them.

I do not understand Australians and their attitude to these wild animals. He said. They would make a fuss over us catching a few creatures; they prefer to leave them in the jungle. They will not catch or sell them at any price, and yet the Chinese, Japanese and Americans pay fabulous sums. Why the Australians constantly refuse to sell them I shall never understand, there is plenty of money to be made?

Are you complaining? Hartanto said. I would gladly take your share if you don’t want it.

No. This will be the second time I have come here, and the last time, I could not believe how much money I made by catching birds and animals. No, I do not complain. I will get more money this way than I ever will from fishing, and the work is much easier than pulling on nets all night.

Chapter 2

Holding the hand of his son, Michael Prendergast accompanied his friend Kenneth Walters into the hangar on the small island of Groote Eylandt. He stopped to admire the gleaming aircraft as it came into his view.

So, this is your new plane, Kenneth? Michael said. Quite impressive, it looks considerably larger than the one you had the last time I was here.

"Yes, it is not only larger, it has more features than my last plane had. It’s much faster,