Chapter 406:
Ronan thought it over, then drawled, “So, what you’re telling me is… we’re stuck here for the day? Everyone gets a break?”
The captain smirked. “Could always have them do calisthenics.”
Ronan chuckled, drumming his fingers on the desk before glancing at a subordinate. “Go fetch Marsha. Tell her to join the doctors and handle the remaining merchandise. With fog this thick, it’s as good a time as any to throw some bodies overboard.”
Meanwhile, Marsha—still following Rylie’s warning to stay out of sight—hadn’t reached her hiding place before a guard stopped her.
“Mr. Boyd wants you with the doctors.”
Unease coiled tight in her stomach. “Why?”
They shoved her into a cramped cabin packed with children. Her entire body froze the instant her eyes took in the scene. One of the men beside her spoke in a detached tone.
“Harvest the healthy ones carefully. If they’re sick, don’t waste anesthesia. Just cut them open and toss what’s left overboard.”
Rylie, still in her cabin, felt the ship come to a halt. She overheard the guards outside talking about the unexpected break, then Marsha’s deliberately loud scream rang out—a clear warning.
Marsha didn’t know why, but instinct told her that Rylie might actually do something. Did they really expect her to slaughter these children, with their terrified, pleading eyes staring back at her? She had done her share of questionable things, but she wasn’t that far gone.
She had always known her family was involved in dirty business, but standing here, facing the reality of it, she couldn’t bring herself to follow through. The weight of how deeply she had messed up crashed down on her.
“Have you all completely lost it!? They’re just children! You mean to tell me you’re really about to carve them open here and now?” she shouted, her voice trembling with fury.
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One of the men sneered, his tone cutting and cold. “Don’t act clueless. Your family’s tied to Mr. Boyd in this business. You know what kid organs are worth. Drop the innocent act—you’re already part of this mess.”
Their mocking laughter filled the room, thick with scorn, as they began dragging the terrified children toward the operating room.
The abrupt shift in their plans shattered what little time Rylie had left, tightening the noose around her strategy.
If she struck now, it would mean facing the entire crew alone, and the worst part was that she still hadn’t committed the ship’s layout to memory.
Rylie paused for just a second, thinking hard, then suddenly pushed herself up. With one smooth motion, she leapt for the ceiling vent and disappeared inside.
The icy seawater had long since soaked through her pants, chilling her to the bone as she crawled through the cramped underbelly of the ship.
The engine room greeted her with a deafening roar, each pulse of the machinery hammering against her eardrums. The heavy air reeked of motor oil, diesel fumes, and corroded metal.
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