Chapter 18

At night, the cargo ship named Polaris cruised slowly through international waters near the Strait of Pelagos. Iris and her teammates slipped through a drainage outlet and entered the engine room. While advancing through the narrow passageway, she overheard two guards speaking in a foreign language. "That woman specifically told us to leave a few of the parts for her." Iris figured they must be talking about Violet. Without the slightest hesitation, she and her teammates took out the guards and restrained the bald communications officer, who shakily confessed, "The hostages are in the mid-level refrigerated hold… Violet only contacts us online…" Nate's voice came through the comms. "Team A has secured the bridge. Make your move in three minutes." Iris sprinted toward the mid-level cargo hold and blew the lock off the steel door. The sight inside took her breath away. Dozens of people were crammed into iron cages like livestock. "This is the ICTF! We're here to rescue you!" she ye