Chapter 4 - The Commander
I did not panic or try to hide the scene because I was completely done hiding my true strength behind a polite civilian mask. I walked over to Gregory, yanked the silk gag out of his mouth, and picked up the bloody aluminum bat from the floor, resting it casually over my shoulder.
“We are entering the room now!” the voice outside yelled as a master keycard chimed in the lock.
The heavy cabin door swung open, and three massive security guards wearing tactical vests stepped into the suite with their hands resting on their holstered weapons. They were clearly prepared to handle a minor disturbance for their wealthy guest, but they froze dead in their tracks the moment they saw us.
Standing before them was a calm woman holding a bloody bat, while their billionaire client was tied up like a package on the floor in a puddle of his own blood.
“Help me! She lost her mind and attacked me with that bat!” Gregory shrieked hysterically from the floor. “Shoot her! She is trying to kill me!”
The lead guard, a tall man with a shaved head, reached for his taser and stepped forward aggressively to grab me.
“Take your hand off that weapon right now,” I commanded in a voice so sharp and powerful that it echoed through the entire hallway.
The guards flinched and froze in place, instinctively responding to the overwhelming authority in my tone.
“My name is Captain Ashlynn Myers, former United States Army,” I said clearly, stepping forward to thrust Gregory’s unlocked phone directly into the lead guard’s chest. “Look at this screen right now before you make a mistake that ruins your life.”
“What is this?” the lead guard asked nervously, looking down at the detailed text messages and photos displayed on the screen.
“You are looking at a time-stamped, premeditated plan to commit violent assault on this ship,” I stated firmly. “The FBI and federal maritime agents have already received this entire digital record, and an intercept vessel is on its way here.”
“Officer, do not listen to this crazy woman!” Gregory yelled desperately. “I pay your company’s bonuses! Untie me right now!”
“If you touch me, untie that man, or attempt to cover up this crime scene, you will be named as co-conspirators in a federal investigation for felony assault on international waters,” I said, leaning closer to the lead guard with a stone-cold glare. “Are you willing to go to federal prison to protect a monster?”
The lead guard swallowed hard, looked at the undeniable text messages on the screen, and then looked down at Gregory’s pathetic, bloody state on the floor.
“Stand down, boys,” the lead guard ordered his men, slowly raising his hands to show he was not attacking.
“Put proper hand restraints on him,” I ordered, pointing at Gregory with the metal bat. “He is under federal detainment until the authorities arrive.”
The guards moved past me cautiously and cuffed Gregory’s hands securely behind his back, lifting him off the floor as he squirmed and shouted curses.
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“My family owns half the state, Ashlynn!” Gregory spat out bitterly as they dragged him toward the door. “My lawyers will destroy your life for this! You are a dead woman the moment we hit land!”
“Save your breath for your deposition, Gregory,” I replied coldly as the guards pulled him out into the corridor.
