Chapter 290 - 289: What Secret Is at the Bottom of the Cruise Ship?

Chapter 290: Chapter 289: What Secret Is at the Bottom of the Cruise Ship?

Asher looked at the unconscious person on the floor. "Who is he?"

"He’s one of the people with an injured hand. Some people were trying to kill him, so I saved him. But then he wouldn’t let me open the door, so I had to knock him out," I explained helplessly.

Asher grabbed my wrist, his voice laced with residual fear. "Remember, don’t trust anyone on this ship. Even if you hear my voice outside, don’t open the door unless you’re absolutely sure it’s me."

Asher’s gaze was intense, a sign that the situation outside had grown dire.

"From now on, remember our code phrase," Asher said, giving me a meaningful look.

I nodded. "What’s... going on out there?"

"Some madman has organized a large group. They start killing as soon as it gets dark, searching for the president of the Astraeus Group among those with injured hands."

’This killing game has already begun.’

"I want to go home! I want to go home!" the little girl cried.

I crouched down to look at her. "What’s your name?"

"My name is Gigi..."

"Gigi, listen. I promise we’ll get you off this ship safely and back to your mom and dad, okay?" I said, patting her head soothingly.

The little girl calmed down a bit and wiped the tears from her face. "I’m scared."

"It’s okay. Try to get some sleep. Everything will be better in the morning."

I took her to the bathroom and ran a bath for her.

By the time she finished her bath, the man I’d knocked out was slowly coming to.

He looked at us, terrified. He only relaxed after his eyes fell on the wound on Asher’s hand. "Those lunatics out there are specifically killing people with injured hands. You guys can’t just run around."

"Can I ask you a question?" the man asked cautiously. "Are you the president of the Astraeus Group?"

Asher looked at the man and replied coolly, "I’m not."

The man gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry about that. It’s not like you’d tell a stranger, right? I’m not him either. My hand just got cut in a crowd for no reason, and the next thing I knew, I was being hunted."

Asher didn’t speak. He sat on the sofa, watching me and Gigi, who had just finished her bath. "You two go get some sleep. I’ll keep watch."

"You guys go ahead and sleep. I can help keep watch..." the man offered quietly.

"That’s not necessary. You can crash on the sofa over there." Asher glanced at the time. "It’s still about three hours until dawn. Their killing spree isn’t over. We absolutely cannot open the door right now."

The man nodded and curled up on a nearby sofa. He began speaking in a low voice, "Those people killed my wife and child... I feel like I’m in a nightmare. How could something like this happen? Who on earth is this president of the Astraeus Group? How could he let so many innocent people die because of him? If it were me, I would’ve stood up and shown myself by now..."

"Sacrificing one person could save so many," he continued to mutter.

Asher watched him with a profound gaze, saying nothing.

I glanced at Asher before leading Gigi to bed. "Let’s get some more sleep."

Gigi lay beside me, her eyes fixed on me.

"Do you believe in God?" she whispered.

I smiled at her. "I suppose I do..."

’The god in my heart is my faith.’

"My mom says that God is faith, and that only with faith can a person be invincible. Only then can they do the impossible, create miracles, and eliminate all suffering."

the little girl whispered.

"We need a god to save us..." The little girl snuggled deeper into my arms.

’I looked at her. Everything she’d said up to that point was fine, but that last part... "eliminate all suffering." It made it sound like her mom had joined a cult.’

"It’s getting late. Go to sleep."

Gigi hummed softly and slowly closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

I must have been exhausted, because I quickly fell into a heavy sleep myself.

I don’t know how much time had passed before Asher was waking me for breakfast.

"Is it morning already?" I opened my eyes, saw the sun rising over the sea, and stretched. "You didn’t sleep? I can keep watch. You should get some rest."

Asher shook his head. "Come on, let’s get some breakfast."

Food was being rationed now, so we had to go.

I nodded and gently shook Gigi awake.

Gigi rubbed her eyes and sat up. "Yesterday, down in the very bottom of the ship, I saw another kid. He was really little, maybe three or four years old, running around barefoot. He didn’t have a mommy or daddy with him..."

I stared at Gigi in surprise. "That’s impossible... There are no other children on the ship. You’re the only one."

’The police verification couldn’t have been wrong. There shouldn’t be any minors left on the ship.’

’All the other kids had been evacuated.’

"But I really saw him yesterday. He was playing with a ball way down at the bottom. I think there might have been other kids too, but I only saw the one. I wanted to go down, but it was too dark and I was scared."

’Gigi didn’t sound like she was lying.’

I looked to Asher, but he remained silent.

"Let’s go take a look later," I said, wanting to verify her story.

’Logically, there shouldn’t be any other children on the ship.’

’Besides, the lower decks are a restricted area guarded by staff. Passengers aren’t allowed to enter.’

’How could a child be down there...?’

"You have to be careful, though," Gigi whispered. "Those guards are mean. I saw them hitting people."

I nodded, got out of bed and went to wash up.

The man we’d rescued was awake too. He sat up and peered cautiously from the balcony up toward the main deck. It was empty now.

"Looks like the killing is over," the man said, then nervously introduced himself. "My name is Mason Carter, and I’m a doctor. You might find me useful. I don’t have any family or friends left... can I stay with you guys? I don’t know how, but they got a master key for the regular cabins. They can open any room below the fourteenth floor. It’s not safe at all..."

’Only the VIP cabins were safe at night, since those lunatics couldn’t open the doors.’

’After he’d said all that, it would seem cruel to turn him away.’

I looked to Asher. It was his call.

"We have other friends. It’s three guys, so you can squeeze in with them." To my surprise, Asher agreed.

’For some reason, I thought I saw a cunning glint in Asher’s eyes. I had no idea what he was thinking.’

Mason Carter was thrilled and nodded eagerly. "Thank you, thank you! This is wonderful. You’re all good people. You’ll definitely be rewarded for this."

I didn’t say anything. I was used to that kind of flattery.

’The kind of person who tells you how great you are one second, then refuses to let you open the door the next...’

"What the fuck happened last night? The smell of blood is so strong," Felix Foster swore as he came down the hallway.

’I shot Felix Foster a suspicious look. With all the commotion last night, how could he have heard nothing?’

Lucas Grant was also scanning the area warily. "They’ve started killing people?"

Asher nodded and introduced Mason Carter. "This is Mason Carter. His family was killed, and he has nowhere else to go. You two take him in."

Lucas Grant glanced at the murderer handcuffed inside the room. "Fine. We’ll make room."

"Gigi said there’s a child below deck, about three or four years old," I chimed in, remembering what she’d told me.

’Actually, ever since our first day on this ship... I’ve been strangely curious about the lower decks.’

’It’s like some strange feeling has been pulling me down there.’