Overboard

Carrie's POV

I stirred awake as sunlight streamed through the room's tiny circular window. I stretched lazily, savoring the gentle sway of the cruise ship.

Slipping out of bed, I rummaged through my closet and chose a cheerful floral skirt and paired it with a turquoise bikini top. The outfit screamed playful yet comfortable—perfect for a day at sea.

Just then, my stomach grumbled. I grabbed my phone, touched up my makeup and headed toward the café for breakfast.

Halfway there, my phone buzzed with a text. It was from Victor: “Bring me some coffee on your way coming back.”

“Jerk" I sighed, pocketing my phone. “He could at least say please,” I muttered under my breath.

I reached the café, ordered a light breakfast—Scrambled eggs and French toast, and found a quiet corner to eat. The aroma of fresh pastries and coffee filled the air as passengers mingled around me.

Once I finished my meal, I stopped at the counter to grab Victor’s coffee. The captain’s voice suddenly echoed through the ship’s speakers.

“Welcome aboard, ladies and gentlemen! We’ll be cruising until evening, where we’ll reach our destination. Please take a moment to grab a brochure to plan your day. Have fun and stay safe!”

I glanced toward the brochure stand and picked one up, “Don't mind if I do.”

I skimmed through the activities, “Looks like there's an all you can eat buffet at 7." I said, looking at the schedule.

On my way back to our room, walking through the crowd, the murmur of voices swirled around me and I could swear I heard someone call my name. I stopped, looking over my shoulder. The corridor was empty, save for a steward carrying towels. Shrugging it off, I continued to our suite, “it's probably nothing."

As I opened the door, I froze. Victor stood by the bed, shirtless, pulling on a crisp white dress shirt. His well-toned back flexed as he turned to face me, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

“Take a picture; it’ll last longer,” he teased.

I could feel my cheeks burning. I quickly shoved the coffee into his hands and flopped onto the bed, using a pillow to cover my face.

Victor chuckled, buttoning his shirt. He took a sip of the coffee, only to spit it out. “I only drink black coffee. This is practically rubbish.”

“Well, next time get it yourself,” I snapped, voice muffled by the pillow.

Victor grabbed his phone and keys. “Don’t wait up for me. I plan on having some fun tonight.” I felt his grin from under the pillow.

He slammed the door on his way out, leaving me alone. I groaned, tossing the pillow aside. “A nap won’t hurt,” I said to myself, yawning before curling up under the blanket.

*************

I woke up to a sharp knock on the door. Groggy, I glanced at my phone. It was 8:30 PM. “Who could it be at this hour?”

“Room service,” a voice called from the other side.

I frowned. I hadn’t ordered anything.

Opening the door cautiously, I let in the man, dressed as a steward pushing a cart laden with covered dishes.

“Just set it on the table,” I said, watching him closely. Something about him felt... off.

As he moved, I caught a glimpse of a small star tattoo behind his ear. My stomach dropped. The Clan of the Star.

Assassins!

My mind raced. “You know what?" I started off trying to catch him off guard. “I didn’t order room service,” I said slowly, stepping toward the door.

The man froze, then turned with a sinister grin. “It’s all expenses paid, Mrs. Reaper.”

My blood ran cold. How does he know that I'm Mrs Reaper? I never signed in our names at the register.

Oh no!

Before I could react, he swung the tray at me. I quickly dodged, twisting his arm behind his back and pinning him to the ground.

Amateur!

“Who sent you?” I demanded, my voice calm yet deadly.

“It doesn’t matter,” the man sneered. “In an hour, this ship will go down, and so will you.”

I tightened my grip. “Why?”

“There’s a bomb on the captain’s deck hidden behind the steering wheel,” he laughed, unbothered by the pain.

Huh?

Without hesitation, I tied him up with the bedsheets and shoved him into the closet. Changing into my black assassin outfit, I slipped out of the room and headed toward the captain’s deck.

*************

The main door was barricaded, so I had no choice but to crawl into the air vents. The confined space was stifling, but my training kicked in, “I've literally gone through worse"

As I neared the deck, I overheard voices. Peeping through the grate, I saw two men standing near a control panel.

“In 20 minutes, we’ll pull the trigger,” one said. “Then we head to the escape boats.”

“What about the Reaper family?” the other asked.

“They’re being taken care of.” he smiled, “I sent Jackson"

"Jackson? Must be that guy I tied up", I thought

Just then, the door burst open, and gunfire erupted. I watched as Victor stormed in, taking out one of the men.

“Is he crazy?!"

The other lunged at Victor from behind with a metal bat in hand.

“I'm gonna regret this" I mumbled to myself.

I dropped in from the vent, landing between Victor and his attacker. I disarmed the man with a swift kick and knocked him unconscious.

Victor’s eyes widened. “You? What are you doing here?”

“No time for questions,” I snapped. “There’s a bomb behind the steering wheel. We need to disarm it.”

“A bomb?!"

“Yeah. You need to leave now!"

Victor nodded, handing me his gun. “I’ll clear the way to the escape boats. Can you handle the bomb?”

I hesitated but nodded. I had never done it before but how hard could disarming a bomb really be?

I approached the control panel and examined the timer. 15 minutes.

I'm screwed!

I pulled out a knife and cut the red wire, hoping it would stop the countdown. Instead, the timer sped up. “Great,” I muttered.

With only two minutes left, I tried to unbolt the bomb to throw it overboard, but it was tightly secured.

Now frustrated, and with less 60 seconds left, I ran to find Victor.

I found him grappling with another assailant. Without hesitation, I shoved the man overboard.

“Did you disarm it?” Victor asked, out of breath.

I shook my head. “No time. We have to jump!”

“What about my luggage?” Victor protested.

“Luggage? What of the people?!” I shouted.

“Oh shit, Camil…”

Before he could complete his sentence, the bomb exploded, the force throwing us both into the water.

I struggled against the waves. Water filling my lungs as panic set in.

My vision blurred as I began to sink deeper into the cold, dark ocean.

Fuck!

I can't swim