Shrouded Seascape

It was three in the morning, right before dawn. The crew cast bewildered gazes at the sky; they could hear noises outside, but they couldn't see anything at all.

As the noises grew louder and louder, everyone started panicking. They instinctively turned to look at Anna, their pillar of strength.

Anna was deeply shocked at the commotion up above. How had they found them when Roy hadn't managed to send any messages?

The AIS and other vessel positioning systems had all been turned off. They couldn't have found them via satellite, as the ocean was extremely vast. If their technology were that advanced, they wouldn't lose so many planes at sea every year.

The timing was perfect as well; they arrived right as she was about to make her move.

Anna was extremely frustrated at the thought that her preparations were going to waste. She had yet to make her return to the Subterranean Sea, so she couldn't die here prematurely!

Just then, blinding light beams shot down from above and landed on the deck.

Moments later, a booming voice echoed from what seemed to be loudspeakers.

"We're from the United Nations Peacekeeping Force! You're under suspicion of drug trafficking using this vessel! Stop now and allow us to inspect your vessel!"

Looking at the searchlights, Anna's delicate face showed a hint of mockery. "A peacekeeping force? Do they really think that this is my first time on Earth?"

Amidst the blaring warnings, it became clear to everyone that Anna's armed followers were clearly no match for the modern armed force above them.

Anna's plans were now in ruins, but she had no time for regrets. Before anything else, she had to avoid getting captured.

The cogs in Anna's mind turned rapidly. Then, she turned around and rushed toward the steps that led to the ship's bridge.

"Everyone goes inside! Prepare your weapons and follow my instructions through the speakers!"

Soon, the massive cruise liner started turning, and it was clearly heading toward the distant beach.

"This is your first warning! Stop immediately and allow us to inspect your vessel!"

A booming voice echoed from the loudspeakers, but Anna's eyes were transfixed on the beach, ignoring the warning. Staying on the ship meant death. They had to reach the island and use the crowd as well as the commotion to escape.

Everyone else on the ship could be abandoned. Anna just had to escape by herself, and she would have no issues starting over from scratch.

Just then, a rain of bullets pelted the bridge, shattering its windows.

Anna ducked down and gnashed her teeth with her hand gripping the bottom of the helm. Do these people really think that they can make me submit when even Charles couldn't make me submit?!

Swoosh! Boom!

A missile struck the water, creating a massive wave near the Narwhale's bow.

The ship rocked violently amidst the wave, but the attacks weren't over just yet.

More missiles followed, and the rocking became increasingly violent. The closest missile grazed the ship before hitting the water. "This is your final warning! Stop immediately, or we will sink your vessel!"

Anna was delighted rather than furious upon hearing that. The fact that they dared not attack her directly meant that they wanted her alive! Anna grabbed the microphone on the nearby instrument panel and shouted, "Maximum power! Push it to the absolute limit! It's okay even if the engines end up broken!"

Large ships were slow due to their immense weight, so Anna's Narwhale couldn't match the speed of Charles' Narwhale, but throwing all caution to the wind and disregarding any damages was a different story.

The Narwhale's low and piercing horn tore through the air. She sounded like a giant roaring at the aircraft up above before charging its way toward the distant beach. Ŗ𝓪𐌽ȱ𝐁ÊⱾ

Missiles were still falling all around the ship, and one of the missiles even struck the deck, collapsing more than half of it. However, the missiles never targeted the bridge.

Soon, the helicopters drew closer, and ropes descended from above as figures in black combat gear rappelled onto the ship. The followers hiding in the cabins emerged en masse. They raised their guns to fight back, and the air was soon filled with gunshots.

However, professionals would always win against amateurs. The hastily assembled motley crew was no match against the attackers. Soon, a squadron with emblems depicting a phoenix on their shoulders stormed the bridge.

Li Long was standing at the helm, and he had peed himself out of fear.

However, Anna was nowhere to be seen.

The squad leader touched his earpiece and reported, "The target has vanished from the bridge."

"She must still be on board." A woman's voice echoed from the earpiece, "Continue the search and remember to use tranquilizers. We need her alive."

Before the squad leader could respond, he was flung toward the glassless window by a sudden, violent impact. The Narwhale had run aground.

The remaining followers in black robes poured out of the cabins, rushing toward the gangways. Those too impatient took advantage of the broken windows and jumped straight into the sea.

They were struck by tranquilizer darts, but it was difficult to stop a thousand people with just a tranquilizer. To make matters worse, they couldn't use lethal, explosive weapons, so more than half of the followers made it to shore.

Anna was among them, and she knew that reaching the island was her only chance to escape.

The crowd rushed past the beach and ran down the roads. Just as Anna was about to reach the buildings with the crowd, she felt a sharp pain radiating from her waist. She turned and saw a black-robed follower. The follower had plunged a syringe into her waist.

Swoosh!

Green flames burst out of Anna's hands as she reached out for the attacker, but they were surprisingly agile; they easily dodged her attack by stepping backward in the blink of an eye.

However, the rapid movement disturbed the attacker's clothing; the hood fell, revealing the face of none other than Captain Roger!

"So you were a mole all this while!" Anna remarked.

Roger nodded calmly at Anna. "We're short-staffed, but the IMF wouldn't send just two people to deal with a dangerous individual like you."

Anna's consciousness dimmed as the tranquilizer began to overwhelm her. The last scene she saw before losing consciousness was the blinding beams of light from the helicopters up above.

After an unknown time, Anna woke up groggily. She looked around and found herself on a bed with nothing but a desk with a computer monitor in the distance.

Everything around her was white—the wallpaper, the bedsheets, and even the handcuffs on her wrists. Anna also found herself wearing an electronic collar, and she assumed that the collar was in place to control her.

Anna didn't get up and simply lay there, staring at the light up above.

There was no mistaking it—she had been captured.

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