Chapter 6 - The Ship That Changed Course
The floor shifted beneath them.
Ashlynn looked through the windows.
The Florida coastline was no longer behind the ship.
It had moved to their left.
The cruise liner was turning.
Gregory pressed his face to the glass.
“Why are we changing course?”
Ashlynn examined the digital map near the entrance.
The display had gone black.
The cabin lights flickered.
William’s voice returned through the speaker.
“This vessel will experience a communications failure in eight minutes.”
Gregory looked upward.
His father continued.
“The official report will state that a newlywed couple became violent during a private dispute. One fell overboard. The other died while attempting a rescue.”
Ashlynn’s hands tightened.
William spoke almost gently.
“Gregory, you can still come home.”
Gregory stared at the speaker.
“You were supposed to be dead.”
“I gave you freedom.”
“You gave me a company I never controlled.”
“I gave you a name.”
“You taught me that hurting people proved I was strong.”
William did not answer.
Gregory looked at Ashlynn.
Shame crossed his face.
She did not comfort him.
He had attacked her.
His father’s manipulation explained his rage.
It did not excuse it.
Ashlynn removed the data capsule from the champagne bottle.
Gregory watched.
“That’s what he wants?”
“It’s part of it.”
“What else?”
“Me.”
She opened the capsule and removed a microdrive.
The evidence included records showing Mercer Maritime used humanitarian shipping contracts to move illegal surveillance equipment and weapons through restricted ports.
The failed mission was meant to expose one shipment.
William redirected Ashlynn’s team into danger before they could deliver the evidence.
Gregory picked up his phone again.
Still no signal.
“What about the crew?”
“Some are probably being paid. Most have no idea.”
A heavy impact struck the cabin door.
The guard was trying to remove the bat.
Ashlynn searched the open suitcase.
Beneath the false lining, she found a compact satellite transmitter.
Gregory looked stunned.
“My mother packed that too.”
“It isn’t for you.”
Ashlynn activated it.
A green light appeared.
Then changed to red.
The device had been programmed to send only to one destination.
William.
Ashlynn smiled faintly.
“What?”
“Your mother made a mistake.”
She connected the microdrive to the transmitter.
“If this device can send data to William, it can send data anywhere once I override the routing.”
“Can you?”
“My job was logistics.”
The door shook again.
The bat began sliding from the handle.
Gregory braced it with both hands.
Ashlynn worked rapidly.
A progress light began blinking.
Then the satellite device displayed an incoming message.
Only three words appeared:
ASHLYNN, STOP NOW.
Gregory read it.
“Who sent that?”
Ashlynn’s face changed.
Because the encryption signature belonged to the one person she had protected by signing the false confession.
May you like
Her younger brother.
👉 The brother Ashlynn sacrificed everything to save was working with William Mercer.
