Two hours ago, the seawater poured in, engulfing Josie’s mouth and nose, reaching up to her head. She gave up struggling. Just when she thought she was about to lose her life there, a force came from beneath the water. It was a person!
The stranger was fully equipped and signaled to Josie that he was an ally. He took the lead in fitting her with another set of diving gear, then swam to the surface. He cut off the chain that was binding her and, holding onto her, began to swim downward.
Surprise flashed across Josie’s face as she gestured toward the stranger, demanding, “Who are you?”
The stranger gripped her hand tightly, swimming back the way they came. There were people waiting for them at the entrance, and they quickly made it ashore.
Well, that wasn’t true. They were still in the ship, inside a secret room undiscovered by anyone.
After being rescued, Josie removed her diving gear, taking in deep breaths. It took her a while to recover before she finally asked, “Who are you? Why did you save me?”
The stranger also removed their gear, their face was resolute yet refined. “We were assigned by Mr. Russell to infiltrate this ship undercover. We’ve received orders from above that neither you nor him can come to harm!”
They had been prepared all along. Josie closed her eyes briefly, uttering a word of thanks. “I truly thought I was going to die.”
She suddenly had a realization. It seemed that Dexter had merely been stalling before, providing ample time for rescue.
Although she was unharmed, she had been submerged in the water for far too long. She was completely drained of energy, her complexion pale as a sheet, and she couldn’t even muster the strength to stand. “Should we leave now?”
The stranger responded, “We’re awaiting orders.”
They were professionals who conducted a basic examination on Josie.
A tremor echoed from above, causing Josie’s heart to leap in fear. “Dexter has been kidnapped! You must hurry and save him!”
They fell silent, repeating the same phrase, “We must wait for orders.”
On the deck, Arnold slowly rose to his feet, picking up the megaphone in kind. “Old Mr. Olsen, I thought your health was failing. Yet, here you are, having traveled a great distance. Is it really worth coming out of retirement for the sake of those people in Wavery?”
Mark’s expression was stern, but in reality, he was seething with anger. “Don’t play dumb with me,” he said. “You’ve taken my daughter hostage twice. It’s high time we settled this score. Just because I’ve been out of the picture, you thought she had no one to watch her back, didn’t you?”
“I don’t understand, Old Mr. Olsen.” Arnold leaned on the armrest, “Wasn’t your so-called daughter Rachel back then? You didn’t acknowledge Josie, did you?”
That statement struck a chord in Mark’s heart, leaving him unable to let go for a long time.
“Now you come to stop my ship, accusing me of kidnapping her. Do you have any proof?”
Such words of persuasion didn’t faze Mark in the slightest. He scoffed, “Arnold, you’re too naïve to play these games with me. If you don’t hand over Josie today, this ship won’t be leaving the country, and you’ll be staying with me!”
Mark had not easily involved himself in such grand affairs for many years, nor had he personally left his seclusion. Despite his body ailing with sickness, he took his place at the helm of the ship, all for the sake of Josie’s safety.
From the moment he received the news, only a few hours had passed. Yet, he had managed to gather so many people. Clearly, he was giving it his all.
The location was not far from Wavery, still under the control of the Olsen family. Taking down Arnold was entirely within their capabilities.
The expression on Arnold’s face gradually turned serious. He had considered many possibilities, but he had never thought that Mark would interfere.
“Old Mr. Olsen, Josie isn’t dead.” Arnold could only step back.
“Then hand her over!” Mark simply didn’t believe any of it. “Have you truly forgotten Josie’s surname? Her last name isn’t Warren but Olsen!”
