Chapter 7 - The Midnight Star
Bullets sparked against the metal shipping containers as Jack ran for his life.
He zig-zagged through the stacks of cargo, desperately trying to break the line of sight.
The massive freighter was already slowly drifting away from the concrete pier.
The gap between the dock and the ship was widening by the second, revealing the freezing, churning black water below.
Jack ignored the armed men chasing him and focused entirely on the edge of the pier.
He pushed his legs harder, sprinting with every ounce of adrenaline left in his veins.
Jack leaped off the edge of the concrete dock, soaring through the freezing night air.
He crashed hard onto the rusted metal deck of the freighter, rolling violently to absorb the brutal impact.
His shoulder screamed in pain, but he forced himself to stand up immediately.
The ship was a massive, floating maze of stacked steel containers.
He had no idea which container held his precious daughter.
Jack crept silently along the starboard side, avoiding the bright lights of the crew deck.
He heard the heavy footsteps of two armed mercenaries patrolling the upper catwalk.
Jack slipped into the deep shadows between two towering blue containers.
He needed to find the ship's manifest or locate a guard who knew the exact location of the hostages.
Suddenly, a muffled, tiny sound caught his attention.
It sounded like a child crying from inside a red shipping container just a few yards away.
Jack's heart leaped in his chest, and he rushed over to the heavy steel doors.
He placed his ear against the freezing metal and listened closely.
"Callie?" Jack whispered desperately, hoping she could hear him through the thick steel.
The crying stopped instantly, replaced by a terrifying, hollow silence.
Then, the heavy steel doors of the container swung violently open.
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It was not a child inside, but Marcus, holding a heavy assault rifle with a wicked smile on his face.
"You really are predictable, Jack," Marcus laughed, aiming the weapon at Jack's chest.
