Chapter 276: I Ask, You Answer

Asher Keating took the gear and changed into it. Under the cover of darkness, he, Sean Yates, and two others slipped into the sea, slowly approaching the yacht underwater.

The four of them circled the hull of the yacht before regrouping. One man gestured that he would board first while the other three waited for his signal.

About twenty minutes later, the man returned and gave the signal. Asher Keating and the other two boarded in succession, concealing themselves behind the superstructure.

The man quickly reported, “I just did a quick sweep. There are at least six men. I’m not sure if they’re armed.”

Asher Keating nodded. Six men here, plus the ones on Morgan Sterling’s boat, meant over a dozen people in total. He wasn’t sure if the men here were armed, but Morgan Sterling’s crew definitely was.

With only four of them, the odds weren’t in their favor. They had to neutralize the men on this yacht first. The problem was, they didn’t know if there was a countersign between this crew and Morgan Sterling’s. Attacking rashly was too great a risk.

In the end, the four split into two teams. Asher Keating went with a mercenary named Victor, while Sean Yates took the other. Their first task was to scout the area. After they boarded, several more men remained in the water to ensure the main group could board directly once the yacht was secured.

It was now 10:12 PM. Asher Keating and Victor descended silently to the lowest deck. Victor pointed to a door and made a hand signal, indicating four men were inside. Two more were near the galley. Asher Keating nodded and decided to move toward the galley.

Before they could move, they heard a noise from the galley. They quickly hid in the shadows. Two men emerged, apparently having just finished a meal. One said to the other, “They’re setting off in another ten minutes. Get ready for the rendezvous.”

“Seriously, what’s with kidnapping a woman? Is that Sterling guy out of his mind? Making us wait here all this time.”

“Come on, they said she’s valuable. Could be a lifesaver in a pinch. Besides…” The man chuckled. “Heh heh… I hear she’s a looker. We’re going to be out at sea for days. At least we’ll have some entertainment.”

“Ha ha ha, good point… Oh, I forgot something. You head back without me.”

“You’re just going back to sneak a drink, aren’t you!”

“Hey, no need to call me out. Just a little sip. I’ll be right back.”

After the two men went their separate ways, Victor gestured to Asher Keating. They waited for the one humming a tune to walk away before silently tailing the man headed back to the galley.

The instant the man stepped into the galley, Victor lunged. One hand clamped over the man’s mouth while the other pressed a dagger to his throat. He shoved him inside. The whole sequence took mere seconds. Asher Keating followed immediately, shutting the door behind them.

Asher Keating gagged the man, then worked with Victor to bind his hands and feet. Victor quickly relieved him of his gun and any other weapons.

Asher Keating looked coldly at the gagged man. “You think you can cry for help faster than your throat can be slit?”

The man shook his head in terror. Asher Keating squatted in front of him. “I’ll ask, you’ll answer. Nod for yes, shake your head for no. Understood?”

The man nodded quickly.

“Did Morgan Sterling hire you?”

He nodded.

“Is every one of you armed?”

He shook his head.

“Is there a countersign?”

This time, the man grew visibly agitated, shaking his head and then nodding. Asher Keating frowned. “There is one, you just don’t know it?”

The man nodded frantically.

“Does the man who was with you know it?”

He shook his head.

Asher Keating understood. ‘These two must be low-level grunts,’ he thought. They wouldn’t know the countersign. That meant the leader had to be among the remaining four men.

Having confirmed what he needed to, he gave a signal. Victor stripped off the man’s clothes. Before the captive could react, Victor knocked him unconscious with a chop to the neck. They tied him up again, this time more securely, and stuffed him into a tiny locker.

Victor put on the man’s clothes. Their builds were similar, and with the lights off, he could pass for him temporarily, as long as he kept his mouth shut.

Just as he was about to head out, Asher Keating received a signal from Shawn Grant: Morgan Sterling’s boat was underway. Calculating the distance, it would arrive in about half an hour. Sean Yates had also slipped down to regroup with Asher. Now, all they had to do was hide and wait.

Asher Keating’s phone vibrated. He pulled it out. The screen displayed a single line: “Is it cold today? / Not at all, it’s actually pretty hot.”

Earlier, when Asher Keating realized there might be a countersign for the handover, he had texted the number that provided the location to ask about it. There had been no reply, and he’d feared the contact had already disposed of the SIM card. But now, it seemed this was the countersign.

Now that he had the countersign, Asher Keating decided not to wait. He signaled his team to move in. The four of them rapidly closed in on the other men’s position.

Victor cleared his throat and nonchalantly opened the door. A voice drifted out from inside. “Been sneaking drinks again, have we?”

“Heh heh.”

Victor chuckled but didn’t say anything more. He found a corner, sat down, and pretended to doze off, leaving the door ajar.

“Tsk, tsk. The guy’s definitely had too much.”

“Alright, alright, leave him be. They’re on their way. Let’s get ready.”

“I gotta take a piss.”

A man rushed out. Just as he was about to relieve himself, Sean Yates clamped a hand over his mouth and knocked him unconscious. Sean Yates quickly swapped clothes with him and prepared to return, posing as the other man.

Asher Keating and the fourth man remained hidden in a corner. Reaching the doorway, Sean Yates feigned confusion and said in a muffled voice, “Are they here? I think I heard something.”

“This fast? You must have heard wrong.”

“I’ll go up and take a look.”

One of the men stood up and headed out. The moment he stepped toward the deck, Asher Keating knocked him out with a single chop. He went down without a sound. At the first sign of movement, Sean Yates and Victor inside the room, along with the fourth man outside, sprang into action. They swiftly neutralized the remaining men and changed into their clothes.

After clearing the scene, Victor went on deck to act as the lookout for the rendezvous. Asher Keating and Sean Yates ran to the stern and signaled for the men still in the water to board. Once on the yacht, they quickly found positions and concealed themselves.

The minutes ticked by. Hiding on deck, Asher Keating finally heard the approach of the other boat. The two sides cautiously exchanged the countersign. A plank was extended from the approaching vessel, and people began to cross.

Asher Keating cautiously peeked out and finally saw them on the other boat’s deck. Morgan Sterling was dragging Leah Sinclair, whose mouth was taped shut and hands were bound behind her back. She struggled, refusing to cross. Standing beside them were Hugh Sterling and two other mercenaries.