Dante nods to the left, indicating he’s going to go around the back. The cool wind blows the sea air, and there’s not a sound other than the crashing of the waves as we wait.
The man in front blows another large gust of smoke into the air before Dante grabs his mouth and neck from behind, choking him until he drops lifeless onto the ground. Then we advance, pushing the body to the side as we move towards the cabin door. We burst through just as gunfire explodes in the distance.
Fuck, we’ve been made.
We rush down the hall, as a door flies open. An armed man stands, gun in hand, but he doesn’t have time to fire off a round before I put a bullet in his neck.
“Check every room!” I yell at Dante and Dave.
We go through a series of rooms, each of which is empty, just sleeping quarters or utility closets. Then we descend down another flight of stairs but are stopped by an onslaught of bullets.
We retreat and find cover, as Mitch throws a smoke grenade down the corridor. He slides down his mask and storms straight into danger.
There are a few pops and a thud and then he yells, “clear!”
We rush down, weapons up, ready to shoot and on the hunt for Lilly. I just need to see her and know she is okay. She has to be close.
I open another door and am confronted with screams and cries from men and a woman curled up in the corner, their hands over their heads.
“Don’t kill us. Don’t kill us. Please,” a man yells, his high-pitched voice dripping with fear.
He must be a crew member on the ship rather than one of Sergei’s men.
“Have you seen a woman, long black hair with the Russian on the ship?” I point my gun directly in his face.
He wets himself, but I don’t retreat, not yet. Not until he answers. He nods, tears rolling down his face.
“The hall.” He points to the left. “Down the hall. Last door. Dining parlour.”
“Do not leave this room,” I roar, looking to all of them huddled together. “You leave this room. We will shoot.”
They all nod, and the woman sobs.
I spin around and run straight down the hall. The boys continue to open the doors lining the corridor. My heart is pounding, and adrenaline courses through my veins. All my senses heightened and ready for whatever is to come. I’m filled with ferocity and rage, and when I reach the door, I burst through, gun drawn and ready to kill that son of a bitch.
But the room is empty. I scan in all directions and see nothing, except for a table set for two, with bottles of wine and untouched food in the middle.
She’s close. I’m so close. Lilly baby, where are you?
“FUCK!” Dante’s scream gets my attention. “I found her.”
Relief floods through me, so happy to hear those words I forgot to pay attention to the horror in his voice. Maybe if I had, I would have been more prepared. But when I barge past him, my heart slams into the back of my throat as I see Lilly hanging by chains. Her body is limp, strewn to the side and her back streaked with blood. Shock courses through me as I run to her, taking her tear-streaked face in my hands.
“Lilly,” I whisper, choking on her name, caressing her face, trying to wake her up.
God please, let her be alive.
“Lilly, baby it’s me.” My voice and my heart breaks.
Tears well up in my eyes and make it hard to see. I blink them away, letting them fall.
“Wake up,” I plea.
There is no response, but her chest is slowly rising and falling. She’s alive, but she’s unconscious.
“Find me the fucking key!” I roar behind me.
Dave bursts into the room and stops dead. “Holy shit!”