Chapter 312 - 311: The Cruise Ship Is Sinking...

Chapter 312: Chapter 311: The Cruise Ship Is Sinking...

Screams and the sound of beasts tearing into flesh echoed from outside the banquet hall.

"Where are you taking me?" Isaac Sullivan demanded as he was dragged outward.

I grabbed Asher and ducked to the side, signaling for the others to find cover. "Hide! Hurry!"

Just as the words left my mouth, the men from The Genetics Organization who had boarded the ship opened fire.

They killed indiscriminately. Anyone caught in their line of sight became a victim.

People screamed in terror, scrambling in every direction. In a mere instant, the banquet hall was awash with blood. Everyone cried and ran for the exits, but there were wild beasts outside and mercenaries inside.

These people... they had come to leave no survivors.

Zeke Shaw shielded Madeline Quinn as they hid beneath a table. Madeline held tightly onto Adrian and Stella, one hand clamped over Gigi’s mouth to prevent the little girl from crying out again.

Lucas Grant and Ethan Carter guarded Stella Abbott as they ducked under a long table on the opposite side.

The stench of blood in the banquet hall stretched everyone’s nerves to the breaking point.

"They took Isaac Sullivan," I whispered.

Asher shushed me with a hand gesture.

Right now, anyone deemed irrelevant would be purged by The Genetics Organization. The only one useful to them was Isaac.

"Where’s your boss? I demand to see him!" a few indignant tycoons shouted, still harboring the delusion that they held value to The Genetics Organization. "Tell him we’re with Vertex Group! I am Wesley!"

"That’s right! And we’re all members of the organization!"

Those men truly believed they would be on the rescue list. But this ship held far too many of The Genetics Organization’s secrets. There was no way they would allow anyone on board to leave alive.

"Capture these few alive. Silence the rest," the leader ordered, comparing the faces around him with photos on his tablet.

I shot a glance toward the corners. The smart ones had all hidden. Only these fools... still thought they could negotiate.

Julian Fletcher shielded Ace, hiding behind the air conditioning unit. Killian Lancaster, on the other hand, didn’t bother to hide. He seemed incredibly confident.

"These few aren’t on the list," the leader said after checking his tablet. Then, he opened fire without hesitation.

Amidst shocked and horrified gazes, the tycoons fell into pools of their own blood.

"Throw all their bodies into the sea to destroy the evidence. Before the rescue ships arrive, find our targets and blow this ship to the bottom of the ocean," the leader commanded in a low voice. He then turned to Killian, comparing his face to a photo. "Mr. Lancaster, you may board the rescue ship."

"I need to take someone with me," Killian stated grimly.

The leader fell silent and stepped aside to request instructions. He returned quickly and asked, "Who is it you wish to take?"

Killian looked over at Ace. "Come here. Don’t be afraid."

Ace emerged from under the table. By doing this, Killian had effectively sold Julian out.

Julian frowned, watching the mercenaries with high alert.

The leader cross-referenced Ace’s appearance and nodded. "You may bring her aboard. Madam is already waiting for you."

This "Madam" was the leader of The Genetics Organization, the one in charge of this entire operation.

Ace furrowed her brows and glanced at the leader’s tablet. Then, she let out a breath of relief and followed Killian out first.

Seeing this, Julian gave up hiding and stepped out.

"Mr. Fletcher, you may also board the ship. Madam is waiting for you," the leader spoke again.

Julian froze, visibly shocked. He was actually on the list too.

"Who else is on the list?" Julian asked.

The leader showed the photos to him.

Julian took a deep breath. There were three other people on the list. "Can I take them with me?"

The leader nodded.

Lowering his voice, Julian said, "Sebastian Lancaster and Silvia Lynch..."

It was true that the organization wouldn’t let Asher and me die. Asher was one of the test subjects for The Genetics Organization’s Soul Rebirth Project, and I was currently their most valuable specimen.

Asher and I exchanged a glance.

If it was only the two of us... Then what about Zeke, Lucas, and the others?

"And Felix Foster," Julian added.

Felix, as another test subject of the Soul Rebirth Project, was also an incredibly valuable asset. Unfortunately, other than the three of us, everyone else was marked for death.

"Captain, the bombs have been planted," a mercenary reported as he walked in.

I frowned, keeping a wary eye on the men.

Adrian and Stella were still on the ship. There was no way Asher and I would abandon Zeke or anyone else.

"Find our targets," the leader ordered.

The mercenaries began their sweep. Asher pulled me behind him protectively and shot a glance at Adrian.

The little boy seemed to instantly understand his father’s intent. He whistled sharply toward the banquet hall entrance. At the sound, the wolfdogs rushed in, baring their teeth at the armed mercenaries. With a single command from the boy, all the dogs lunged at the armed men.

We all took the opportunity to flee.

"The ship is going to sink soon, and they’re going to blow it up. What do we do?" Lucas asked.

"Aren’t you a genius? Why are you asking us?" Felix retorted.

The two were on the verge of fighting again.

"Look at the time!" I snapped, frowning. "Let’s head back to the room first!"

I gave Gigi a meaningful look. Looking guilty, she lowered her head and hid behind Madeline.

"Back to the room first. I’ll use the satellite communicator to send our coordinates and guide the rescue ships in," Zeke said as he escorted us away quickly.

When we reached our door, we spotted a wounded Mason Carter in the hallway. He had been bitten, and the injury looked severe. It seemed his "allies" had abandoned him.

Just as we were about to enter our room, he suddenly reached out and grabbed us. "Don’t go in..." Using the last of his strength, he choked out, "They went into your room."

We cast wary glances toward the end of the corridor. The mercenaries were catching up. We had no choice; the satellite communication device was still inside.

Zeke had to take the risk. He pushed the door open and rushed in.

Inside the room, Simon had been caught by the intruders and beaten bloody. Those men probably didn’t realize Simon was insane, assuming he was one of us. But Simon was a madman. The more they beat him, the more maniacally he laughed.

Hearing us enter, the intruders turned to look. In that split second of distraction, Simon suddenly lunged forward and plunged a knife into their leader’s neck, striking the carotid artery.

Covered in blood, he laughed hysterically.

The man clutched his neck in shock. Before he could even lift a finger against Simon, he collapsed to the floor, dead.

Simon kept laughing, unhinged and frenzied.

"They left. The small boat, left," Simon mumbled, pointing out the window.

The masked man had fled with Owen Foster, Isaac, and the others. The men from The Genetics Organization were in pursuit.

"If you want to live, you’d better behave!" Zeke shouted at the remaining mercenaries. He then pinned Simon to the ground, tied him up, and shoved him over to Lucas.

Prying open a gap in the wainscoting, he retrieved the satellite communication device and prepared to contact the rescue team.

The sound of gunfire drew closer. The barking of the wolfdogs was getting closer too.

The mercenaries had found us.

BANG!

The door was kicked open. The armed men stormed in and began firing indiscriminately.

"Take the targets we need and leave no survivors!"

Just as their leader prepared to strike, the ship violently lurched. The bombs had been detonated early.

BOOM!

A series of explosions followed, and the massive cruise ship began to tilt. Instinctively, Asher pulled me into his arms, grabbed Adrian and Stella, and acted as a human cushion, shielding us with his body as we slid across the floor.

"Dad..."

"The ship is sinking! We’re taking on water!"

"Fall back!"

"Retreat, now!"