The Stowaways in the Cabin（3）

"Ha! Horse, I know you're an ex-special forces soldier, a killer through and through. But I've got over a dozen men and just as many guns. Still, there's no need for us to ruin our good partnership," Barsadi sneered, his tone oily. "My men need to eat, and they need women to entertain them. How about this? Give me all the profits from this shipment, and I'll make sure my men stand down. Fair?" 

Though small in stature, Barsadi's ambitions were anything but. His words were a thinly veiled robbery. But even a strong outsider like me couldn't take on the local tyrant on his own turf. Add the responsibility of protecting the two girls, and a fight would only put them at greater risk. I gave him a wry smile. "Fine. Money is just worldly possession. If buying peace with your crew makes us friends, it's worth it." 

Yiliang clung tightly to my back, her hair disheveled and her wide, frightened eyes darting around the room. I shot a glance at Barsadi, then toward the door of the cargo hold, signaling the men to make way. 

I urged the two girls ahead, guiding them to the deck while keeping a fighting stance. Slowly, I backed out, always on guard. 

Once I had them safely in my rented cabin, the dam broke. Both Luya and Yiliang collapsed into my arms, crying uncontrollably. 

They must have suffered terribly over the past five days. Luya looked up at me with tear-streaked cheeks and a guilty expression. "We're sorry. We shouldn't have come. It's our fault you lost everything." 

I chuckled, brushing their hair gently. "Silly girls. If they dare take even one bag of my cargo, I'll blow their brains out. This isn't me going back on my word—it's them taking advantage of my position. If they die, they'll have brought it upon themselves. But we're not safe yet. They might come for us in the dead of night. Barsadi is as sly as they come." 

Luya wiped her eyes and whispered, "Earlier, while Yiliang and I were hiding in the hold, we heard a woman crying. It must've been those scoundrels doing something terrible." 

She glanced at Yiliang, who nodded solemnly. 

"Did you hear an English-speaking madwoman?" I asked. 

Luya shook her head, then hesitated before replying. "No, it sounded like Japanese. She must've been hurt or tortured; her cries made us so scared." 

The memory of the woman holding a child earlier resurfaced. I'd noticed the child wrapped in something resembling a kimono. It had to be her. Those brutes must've attacked her. 

I turned to Luya and Yiliang. "Stay here and don't go anywhere. Take this gun and open the door only if you hear my voice. If there's any danger, shoot them." 

Before leaving, I handed them one of my pistols. I'd brought three handguns and two rifles on this trip, including a long-range rifle meant for dealing with pirates. I tucked two pistols into my waistband and slung my dense-forest rifle over my back before heading stealthily toward the cargo hold. 

On the deck, I noticed lights flickering in the captain's quarters. Shadows moved inside; they were likely discussing their next steps—possibly planning to deal with me. 

Under the faint moonlight, I slipped back to the hold. A wooden crate stood conspicuously on the floorboards, confirming my suspicion that the Japanese woman was below. Time was short. 

I shoved the crate aside to reveal a wooden panel, which I pried open to find a hidden space below. Ducking inside, I saw two oil lamps illuminating the area, the floor covered in straw. 

In the corner, tied to a post, was the naked figure of a woman. She froze in terror as I approached, her wide eyes filled with panic. I darted forward to cover her mouth before she could scream. 

She shook her head frantically, muffled cries spilling out. Her fear-filled eyes begged me for mercy. I made a calming gesture and showed her my weapons. Slowly, she seemed to understand—I wasn't one of Barsadi's men. I was here to save her. 

Suddenly, there was movement at the entrance. A coarse voice snarled, "So someone got here before me, huh? Well, time for me to enjoy myself." A foot descended onto the ladder. 

I quickly rolled into the shadows, staying hidden. I couldn't be sure how many were coming. 

The first was a Malaysian sailor, his hairy frame resembling some mutated monkey. He chuckled lecherously as he approached the woman, unbuckling his pants.