Chapter 450: How to Avoid a Fatal Predicament

Chapter 450: Chapter 450: How to Avoid a Fatal Predicament

Unlike the various conspiracy theories they’d imagined, this time, it was purely bad luck!

Zoe Sawyer didn’t pull back immediately, but continued to watch.

Soon, several speedboats appeared beside the cruise ship. Judging by the personnel and equipment on board, it was easy to tell they had been prepared long in advance.

Using the massive hull of the cruise ship for cover, Patrick Miller’s men quickly transferred the important items to the speedboats, ready to leave at a moment’s notice.

Time ticked by, second by second. Just as Zoe Sawyer was on high alert, the group of captive hostages were suddenly released, with the female gang leader and her crew behind them, firing their guns wildly.

Aside from the two brothers who had taken their men and left, the female leader and the guests who had been brought over later were each holding a weapon, laughing maniacally as they vented their excitement.

Although many hostages had been released, their escape route was fixed from the very beginning.

Anyone who strayed even slightly was threatened with a gun by the nearby guards and forced back.

Those who tried to use their numbers to snatch weapons and fight back were seen through and immediately suppressed with force.

After a few such attempts, the hostages understood that if they wanted to live, their only option was to keep running forward.

But the path was narrow, and there were so many people.

No matter how fast they ran, many still fell behind, losing their lives to the guns of the female leader and her crew.

Blood stained the cruise ship’s deck red.

As for Patrick Miller, the moment the gunshots rang out, he signaled for his men to leave in the speedboats.

The gunfire quickly masked the sound of the speedboats starting up and speeding away, while Zoe Sawyer’s vision remained fixed on Patrick Miller.

The speedboats traveled at full speed for nearly ten minutes. Perhaps feeling they were far enough away, Patrick Miller tapped his phone a few times, sending out the detonation command.

Soon, a massive explosion erupted in the direction of the cruise ship. The shockwave was so powerful that even Patrick Miller could feel it from his position.

The towering flames lit up that entire stretch of the sea.

Patrick Miller watched the sea and sky, now glowing red from the fire, then raised his hand, signaling that it was time to go.

He needed to pocket the most important of their assets before the incident blew up.

That was the capital he would need for his future comeback—not a moment could be wasted!

And back at the door, the premonition stopped just as the speedboat started up again.

The door gently pushed Zoe Sawyer away.

Heath Hale and the others had been watching Zoe Sawyer closely. When they noticed her change in demeanor and her hand releasing the doorknob, they knew the premonition was over.

"You look terrible. Did you find a clue?" Heath Hale asked, noticing Zoe Sawyer’s pale face.

Zoe Sawyer took a deep breath and said, "Yes! A crucial one!"

As everyone watched with expectant eyes, Zoe Sawyer recounted everything she had seen.

A heavy silence fell over the room as she explained that because Patrick Miller’s side had discovered the missing person early, their counterparts were forced to change plans—detonating a bomb in the lower deck and killing everyone on board.

After more than a minute of this, Sean Hughes slapped his own cheeks and said, "Well, no matter what, at least we know what happened. Now we can take targeted action to deal with the potential threats."

The leader let out a long breath. "That’s right. We have a clear direction now. As long as we address these points, I refuse to believe the bomb will still go off in the end!"

As everyone chimed in, the heavy, somber atmosphere from moments before was quickly dispelled.

Barry Quinn looked at the leader and asked, "Patrick Miller is so desperate to offload what he has. Is it related to the intel our people died to bring back?"

’For him to resort to such ruthless measures, the secret that was stolen must be huge!’

The leader nodded grimly. "According to the intelligence we received, we uncovered the addresses of some of Patrick Miller’s secret factories and also obtained a great deal of evidence of his crimes.

"We had already negotiated a joint operation with the police over there and were planning a raid, but that’s when our people went missing. You know the rest."

That man has the blood of countless of our countrymen on his hands, whether they were people who went there seeking their fortune or those who were trafficked.

Patrick Miller and his organization have shattered countless families.

As far as the leader was concerned, Patrick Miller had to be caught.

Patrick Miller’s attempt to get rid of his assets was, in its own way, a preparation to evade their joint raid.

If it weren’t for Zoe Sawyer’s ability, they might have actually heard about the cruise ship explosion and assumed Patrick Miller had died on it.

Even if they realized something was wrong later, the time lag would have been enough for him to get a new identity and make a comeback.

If that happened, all the sacrifices made to take down Patrick Miller would have been for nothing!

’Thank God... there’s still a chance to fix things.’

"Zoe Sawyer, what did those two brothers you saw look like?" Barry Quinn asked.

Based on Zoe Sawyer’s account, Patrick Miller knew he couldn’t withstand a joint raid from two countries, so he wanted to pass off the hot potato.

That meant the person taking over must have a powerful organization, one that could withstand the pressure.

And they were two brothers who looked alike. Barry Quinn already had someone in mind, but his suspicion needed to be confirmed.

Sean Hughes dialed Vivian Dunn’s number. Zoe Sawyer and Beau worked back and forth in perfect sync, and soon, they had produced a sketch of the two brothers’ faces.

Remembering there was another person lying in the room, Zoe Sawyer didn’t hesitate to also describe the scene she saw, letting Beau sketch it out.

After confirming the accuracy, Vivian Dunn took a picture of the finished sketch and sent it to Sean Hughes’s phone.

When Barry Quinn and the leader saw the faces in the sketch, their first reaction was that it was impossible.

"These two are famous drug lords in that region, with a massive organization. If they’re the ones taking over Patrick Miller’s territory, our two-nation joint operation really won’t be enough," the leader said, pointing at the faces of the two brothers in the picture.

Being major drug lords, they certainly have a significant armed force, not to mention many channels we haven’t identified. Their covert resources must be substantial as well.

Then, the leader’s tone shifted. "However, according to the intel we gathered, the father of these two brothers was injured in a firefight with a rival family six months ago. He didn’t make it through the next day."

It wasn’t just their rivals; other factions also sent plenty of people to investigate the situation.

From his admission to the hospital to his death and eventual cremation, he was watched the entire time.

Logically speaking, a situation where he turned out to be alive shouldn’t be possible.

But after mulling it over for a moment, the leader tossed the thought aside. That wasn’t what was most important right now.

The most important thing now was how to circumvent the certain-death scenario in the future.

"I have an idea."