“Enough!” Ryan’s angry roar silenced everyone.
His eyes cold and focused, he glanced at his watch, then at the monitor displaying the location Bill had just sent over.
Seeing the countdown on his watch, Ryan stood up abruptly and said in a deep voice, “Hawk stays. Adolph, get as far away as you can. Everyone, evacuate.” With that, he vanished from the captain’s room.
Adolph’s eyes flashed with surprise before his expression turned icy. He slammed his fist down on the control panel, then barked, “Retreat!”
“But, Boss is still-” Cobra, who had appeared out of nowhere, grabbed the control lever and shouted in protest.
Adolph didn’t even glance at him, his face colder than ice, every emotion frozen in place as he replied, “Retreat. He’s Ryan. His word is law.”
Those words shut Cobra’s protests down instantly. After a brief moment of hesitation, Cobra gritted his teeth and yanked the control lever back.
The warship roared to life and began retreating at full speed.
Adolph was right-Ryan was their boss, and if he gave an order, it meant he had everything under control. His safety wasn’t a concern, because he was Ryan, the leader of the Dark family. That name alone meant everything.
As Cobra’s ship backed away quickly, Hawk’s submarine pressed against the ship’s edge. On the other vessels, as soon as Ryan gave the command, everyone dropped what they were doing and hurried toward Hawk’s sub.
Hawk and Bill worked silently, preparing everything.
Ryan’s words were absolute law-no matter the danger, even in the face of death, there was no hesitation.
Meanwhile, trapped in the cargo hold, Echo could hear the conversations between Ryan, Adolph, and the others through the connection.
Sweat poured down her face as she listened to their anxious voices and Ryan’s cold, commanding orders.
Gritting her teeth, she continued tirelessly cutting through the ridiculously thick steel door, refusing to give up.
Less than a minute was left.
The ticking sound echoed loud and clear, filling the silence in a way that made it hard to breathe.
Echo’s heartbeat started syncing with the ticking, pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. She couldn’t control it, couldn’t even to try.
Fifty seconds.
Forty-five seconds.
Time kept slipping away.
Echo didn’t want to look at the timer, but she couldn’t help it. The more she looked, the faster her heart raced. Her face and mind were calm, almost unnervingly so, but the racing heartbeat wasn’t something she could control.
Bang, bang.
Ryan raced through the ship, moving so fast it felt like he was flying. In his ear, Bill’s steady voice guided him, giving him directions to turn, move forward, and change course.
At the same time, Echo’s heartbeat was loud in her own ears, so real in that eerie silence. That was all she could feel-her heart pounding.
“What’s the panic?” Ryan’s cold, commanding voice cut through.
Echo gritted her teeth and replied, “Got it.”
“Move back, get at least ten meters away from the door.”
As soon as Ryan said it, Echo didn’t hesitate. She sprinted back, not stopping for even a second, all while coolly reporting, “Bottom right corner, it’s weaker there.”
She had already cut a square hole in that area, making it more vulnerable than the rest of the door.
In the heat of the moment, Echo’s calm only deepened. She couldn’t even hear her heartbeat anymore. Her focus was razor-sharp-every second she saved increased her chance of survival; every second wasted brought death closer.
Forty seconds.
Thirty-five seconds.
The ticking marked time’s rapid disappearance.
Echo hid behind the nearest container, clenching her fists tightly.
“Get down!” Ryan’s sharp command came out of nowhere, and Echo hit the ground without a second thought.
At the same time, a controlled explosion sounded at the sealed door. It wasn’t loud, but it was powerful.
The steel door splintered, sending shards of metal flying in all directions, crashing into the surrounding containers. The sudden burst of fire in the dark space lit everything up instantly.
The moment the explosion finished, Echo paused for only a second, waiting for the shrapnel to stop flying. Without waiting for Ryan’s orders, she jumped to her feet and sprinted toward the burning door.
Ryan had blown a hole in the bottom right corner of the door. It wasn’t large, but just big enough for a person to crawl through. Flames still flickered around the edges, but Echo didn’t care. She dove straight toward it.
Ryan was there, rushing up at the same time. Seeing her head poke through, he grabbed her by the back of the neck and yanked her out with a swift pull, dragging her completely out in one motion.
Without even a second glance, Ryan held onto her tightly and bolted forward. Echo, face down, was locked in his grip, his sheer strength and speed making it feel like she was flying.
She didn’t have time to think about anything else and shouted urgently, “Twenty seconds left!”
Ryan didn’t respond to her. His voice was low and calm as he said, “Get ready.”
“Yes, sir.” Hawk and Bill’s voices echoed back simultaneously.
Outside, the submarine was slowly submerging. Hawk, standing at the top, watched Ryan and Echo’s approach with a serious expression, calculating how much time they had left.
Bill in the submarine immediately started operating the controls. He pulled the lever up, causing the water level to drop and the vents to seal shut.
Everyone inside the submarine sat in silence, their expressions steady as statues.
Meanwhile, Ryan had a firm grip on Echo’s neck as he charged toward the submarine, moving with incredible speed as it sank lower into the water, syncing perfectly with their descent.
Fifteen seconds left.
The speed was unbelievable, the power unimaginable.
Ryan shot through the other side of the ship’s compartment, bursting out where Echo had just come from. He spotted the submarine, which had only a small part above the surface, with Hawk waiting at the opening. With a swift motion, Ryan tossed Echo toward Hawk. Hawk reached out, catching her and dropping down to leave room for Ryan.
Without missing a beat, Ryan jumped up, gripping the edge of the ship. With a powerful dive, he leaped onto the opening and slammed the hatch shut just as the seawater surged over it. The submarine had completely submerged, timing it to the second.
As Hawk caught Echo, they both fell into the cabin, and nearby crew members quickly pulled them aside to make space for Ryan.
As soon as Echo hit the deck, she shouted, “Hurry up, they’re not just blowing up one ship! Go!”
Bill in the control room was already at full throttle. The moment he saw them enter, he slammed the controls down, shooting the submarine forward like a missile.
Three seconds.
Two seconds.
One second.
Boom!
There was no sound, but through the transparent viewport, the crew inside saw the water violently churning. Waves roared like a tsunami, crashing in all directions. The water distorted, and they watched as a massive shark was obliterated in an instant, the pressure increasing like a mountain crashing down.
The pressure was like nothing they had ever experienced. The violent water bubbled behind the submarine, coming at them like a bomb. The tons of water rushed in, an overwhelming force that no one could withstand.
The fully armed submarine was trembling intensely, creaking and groaning under the immense pressure. The tempered glass windows couldn’t handle the force and shattered with a loud bang, seawater rushing in like a flood.
“Water’s coming in at a hundred seventy-six degrees…”
“The aft compartment can’t handle the pressure; it’s melting…”
“Water’s flooding in through the viewing channels at eighty degrees…”
“The bottom of the compartment is heating up…”
A barrage of reports filled the air, and Ryan’s expression turned icy, moving swiftly toward the control room.
Echo joined the others, trying to stem the tide of water pouring in.