Chapter 780:
“Why didn’t you save them?! Aren’t you the admiral?!”
An elderly mother, broken by the loss of her son, beat her fists against Brad’s chest until guards gently pulled her back.
Brad stood motionless, bearing the full force of the grieving mother’s lament.
“My father is gone! How can you possibly make this right?” a youth, not yet fully grown, cried through his tears.
“We saw your ship out there! Why did you turn back and abandon them? Why?!” demanded a burly man, likely the first mate’s brother, his eyes blazing with fury.
Brad offered no excuses and made no attempt to shift blame. His voice, hoarse from exhaustion and the toxins, rang clear. “I couldn’t bring your loved ones back. That is my responsibility, and I will not shirk it.”
For a moment, his blunt confession stilled the assembled families. The silence did not last; the shouting rose anew.
“What good is an apology? Will it bring my son back?”
“You must answer for this! You must!”
Then the broad-shouldered man roared, “Those bastards from East Islet slaughtered our people! Admiral Morgan, you must avenge us. Take them to war! Make them pay!”
His cry set the crowd aflame, and the bereaved families raised their voices in a single, furious echo.
“Yes! Go to war!”
“Go to war! Demand justice! Teach those bastards a lesson!”
“The navy should protect us, not cower in hiding!”
The shouts swelled, fierce and unrelenting.
Brad held his silence. A short distance away, Rylie’s sharp eyes remained fixed on the man who had first incited the clamor. Without a word, she slipped out her phone and quietly took his picture.
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Turning from the crowd, she headed toward the port. When she had first come in search of Brad, the vessel had still been half-submerged, its outline swallowed by the storm’s gloom. Now, with the skies clearer, she could finally see it, and something about the wreck unsettled her.
The Everswell, dragged onto shore, was ringed by workers snapping photos and documenting every detail.
As Rylie drew closer, two soldiers barred her path, their voices stern. “Inspection in progress. No entry for unauthorized personnel.”
Brock appeared then, steering her aside with a steady hand. “The government has taken over,” he explained. “Their people are gathering evidence. We’re not permitted to interfere.”
Rylie’s eyes narrowed as she asked, “And when they’re done? What becomes of the wreck?”
Brock answered, “Usually it is held for a prescribed interval before being disposed of.”
Seeing the thoughtful crease in her brow, Brock probed, “What is it? Did you spot something odd?”
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Message from Noa: Today we have two new novels, hope you like them dear readers. God loves you and Noa wishes you all the best. (─‿‿O)
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