Chapter 404:
As she suddenly appeared, the children gasped, ready to scream. But the boy quickly stepped in. “Stay quiet!”
His voice held weight. The kids immediately covered their mouths, staring at Rylie with wide, frightened eyes.
“I’m not here to hurt you,” Rylie said as she sat among them. Her eyes landed on the boy — clearly the one in charge. “I’m a cop, undercover on this ship. I’m investigating the illegal trade of human organs.”
The boy’s gaze shifted slightly. “I’m Jeffry Welch. When will the police get here?”
Rylie answered, “In three days — at the earliest.”
Jeffry’s face darkened. “They won’t make it that long. And there’s a bomb on this ship.”
Rylie’s eyes narrowed. “A bomb?”
Jeffry nodded. “I overheard it. The ship’s owner planted a bomb in the cabin. If he finds out the police are coming, he’ll blow everything up. Even if you come, it’ll be too late.”
He leaned back, his voice heavy as he added, “Once the news gets out, we’re all dead.”
Rylie kept her eyes steady. “I heard the owner boarded the ship personally to move some important cargo.”
Jeffry nodded again. “They have a lifeboat on board. They’ll evacuate their own people and leave us to die.” He lowered his voice. “Their sedatives didn’t work on me. I heard everything while they were prepping me for organ harvesting. I’ve got no reason to lie.”
Rylie and Brad had already gone over many possibilities. But they hadn’t expected Ronan to be this cold-blooded.
Even if Brad’s team and the pirates showed up in three days and won the sea fight, Ronan could still blow up the ship. Even if they won, everyone would die. Rylie took a breath. “Then there’s only one option — we need to find and disarm the bomb. Do you know where it is?”
Jeffry shifted and tapped the floor. “I only heard it’s below us, but on old cargo ships like this, there are only storage areas underneath — coal rooms, cargo holds. If he wants to kill everyone at once, the engine room is the most likely spot.”
Rylie blinked. “Wait… I remember something.”
When Marsha came to check on her and opened the door, she heard a voice outside mention an oil leak and warn against smoking. Now it made sense. Even a small spark could set off an explosion.
Jeffry’s eyes lit up. “Can you find it?”
Rylie pointed to her nose and eyes. “I notice things others miss. But I can’t do it alone. I need your help. Get the kids to buy me time. Will you do it?”
Jeffry didn’t hesitate. “There’s no one left to count on anyway. And at this point, what do we have to lose?” He stretched out his hand, firm and steady. “Let’s do it.”
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