Chapter 6
1103 Words
The night air was thick with the briny scent of the ocean, mingling with the distant hum of cargo ships and the metallic creak of cranes shifting in the wind. Ethan crouched behind a stack of rusted shipping containers, his pulse steady despite the looming battle ahead.
The docks stretched before him—a maze of towering crates, dim floodlights, and armed men patrolling the perimeter. Beyond them, a cargo ship waited, its deck bustling with movement. Even from here, Ethan could see the outlines of cages being loaded onto the vessel.
Human cargo.
His jaw tightened. He had seen enough.
"Tell me you have a plan," the woman beside him murmured.
Ethan turned slightly, studying her. She was still a mystery, her presence a question he hadn't yet answered. She had saved him back at the warehouse, and now she was here, moving like a soldier but speaking like a rogue. He didn't trust her—not yet.
"Plans change," Ethan said, eyes scanning the dock. "But I know one thing—we stop that ship before it leaves."
The woman smirked. "Straight to the point. I like that."
Ethan ignored her and focused on the patrols. At least twenty guards on the docks, another unknown number on the ship. The odds weren't great.
"Split up," he decided. "You take the high ground. I'll clear the way to the ship."
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Giving orders now?"
"Just covering all options."
She chuckled but nodded. "Fine. I'll take the rooftops. Try not to get shot before I can cover you."
Without another word, she slipped away, her movements eerily quiet as she climbed a set of stacked containers, disappearing into the shadows above.
Ethan exhaled. No time to hesitate.
He moved.
Silent Death
The first guard stood near a stack of barrels, idly checking his watch. He never saw Ethan coming.
A quick, brutal strike—Ethan's knife sliced deep, and he caught the man before his body could hit the ground.
> [Stealth Kill Executed]
One down.
He dragged the corpse into the shadows and continued.
A second guard stood near a truck, his rifle slung lazily over his shoulder. Ethan approached from behind, wrapping an arm around the man's throat and squeezing. The struggle lasted only a few seconds before the guard went limp.
> [Stealth Kill Executed]
Two down.
He turned, moving toward the next target when—
A sharp whistle.
A gunshot.
A guard on the opposite side of the dock dropped, a bullet clean through his skull.
Ethan glanced toward the rooftops.
The woman was there, her sniper rifle still aimed, eyes locked on him. She gave a small nod before vanishing into the darkness.
Ethan smirked. Not bad.
The Alarm Sounds
The mission was going smoothly—until someone noticed the missing patrols.
"Hey! What the hell?"
One of the guards shouted, stepping forward with his rifle raised.
Then, an alarm blared.
The docks erupted into chaos.
Floodlights flared to life, sweeping across the area. The remaining guards drew their weapons, barking orders into their radios. The ship’s crew joined the fray, emerging from the cargo hold with automatic rifles.
Ethan ducked behind a container as bullets ripped through metal.
"Well, so much for quiet," the woman muttered over the comm.
Ethan pulled his pistol, firing two quick shots.
One guard collapsed.
Another bullet struck home—
> [Headshot]
The woman covered him from above, dropping enemies with lethal precision.
But more were coming.
They had minutes—maybe seconds—before the ship started moving.
Ethan's mind raced.
Then, he saw it.
A fuel truck parked near the containers.
An idea formed.
Ethan aimed—
One shot.
The bullet struck the fuel tank.
A heartbeat later—
BOOM.
The explosion rocked the docks, flames swallowing the nearby area. The shockwave sent guards sprawling, crates tumbling.
The chaos gave them an opening.
"Move!" Ethan shouted.
They sprinted toward the ship.
Boarding the Beast
The deck was a battlefield.
Crew members fired wildly as Ethan and the woman took cover. The ship rocked from the explosion’s impact, alarms wailing.
Ethan popped out, dropping two men with precise shots.
The woman was just as ruthless, moving with deadly efficiency.
They pushed forward, clearing a path through the chaos—
Until the cargo hold doors groaned open.
A figure stepped forward.
Logan Nash.
Ethan recognized him instantly.
Marcus Vale’s second-in-command.
Former military. Trained killer.
And he was carrying a shotgun.
"You’re a persistent bastard," Nash growled.
Ethan barely had time to react before Nash fired.
He dove behind cover as shotgun pellets shredded the deck.
The woman fired, but Nash was fast, ducking behind cargo.
"This guy's a problem," she muttered.
"I’ll handle him," Ethan said. "Get the hostages."
She hesitated but nodded. "Don’t die."
Then she vanished into the ship.
Ethan reloaded.
Nash chuckled. "You should’ve walked away."
Ethan exhaled. "Funny. I was about to say the same to you."
Then they attacked.
Nash fired—Ethan dodged, rolling behind a crate. He came up fast, firing two shots. One struck Nash’s shoulder, but the big man barely flinched.
He charged.
Ethan ducked under a brutal swing, slamming his knife into Nash’s side.
Nash grunted but retaliated, elbowing Ethan hard in the ribs.
Pain exploded through Ethan’s chest.
He grabbed Nash’s shotgun, yanking it away—
Nash swung his fist. Ethan barely dodged, countering with a knee to the gut.
Nash stumbled.
Ethan seized the opening. He grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and swung—
CRACK.
The pipe smashed into Nash’s skull.
The mercenary swayed—
Then collapsed.
> [Boss Eliminated]
Ethan exhaled, his hands shaking.
It was over.
Or so he thought.
Footsteps.
The woman returned, leading a group of frightened captives.
"They’re safe," she said.
Ethan nodded. "Then let's end this."
Together, they moved to the ship’s control room.
Ethan flipped the switches, opening the cargo bay doors.
The ocean roared below.
"Go," he told the captives. "Get off this ship. Now."
The freed hostages hurried toward the docks.
Ethan pulled out a detonator.
"Time to sink this operation."
He pressed the button.
The charges detonated.
Flames erupted. Metal groaned. The ship tilted, water rushing in.
Ethan and the woman jumped—
Hitting the water as the ship exploded behind them.
They surfaced, watching as the traffickers' empire burned.
Ethan exhaled.
Finally over.
Or so he thought.
The woman turned to him, her expression unreadable.
"This isn’t the end," she murmured.
Ethan frowned. "What do you mean?"
She smirked.
"Marcus wasn’t the top."
Ethan’s blood ran cold.
This fight wasn’t over.
Not yet.
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