chapter987

Lydia let out a cold laugh. You really think you're in any place to bargain with me?"

Ghost glanced over at Ansel, worry flickering in his eyes. "Commander, we already agreed to hand him over. The business on the Aqua Dreamliner means everything to our boss. If it gets ruined..."

Ansel's voice was icy and flat. "Your boss deals in nothing but shady business. If you don't want us to wreck everything, warn them. Tell them to stop all transactions, right now."

It was clear what he meant. If they showed up to save Luke and caught any illegal dealings, they'd step in, no questions asked.

Ghost couldn't force a smile this time. He knew exactly how bad the situation was. Ansel and Connor had barged in tonight, catching everyone completely off guard. If he didn't cooperate, he and his men would be dead by morning.

Once Ghost sent them the live location of the Aqua Dreamliner, Lydia and Connor wasted no time. They set up a helicopter rescue for Luke. It was the fastest way to get there.

Of course, that came with a catch. They couldn't take many people, since there wasn't much space on the cruise ship's helipad. Sending a huge team just wasn't an option.

Ansel stayed behind to handle things at the base.

Half an hour later, everything was ready. Lydia and Connor set out with ten people to rescue Luke.

The night sky stretched wide and black, like a velvet curtain wrapped tight around the endless sea. Only the steady roar of the helicopter's blades cut through the thick silence.

Lydia looked out the window. The water was hidden in darkness, with the occasional white wave flashing for a second, like a wound leaking light. Far away, the sea blended into the sky. She could almost believe they were flying into a bottomless pit.

She glanced at Connor, sitting quietly beside her. He was tall, solid, and being next to him felt like having a shield against the world. Even though she wasn't exactly the fragile type, he made her feel safe.

"They're not going to let him go without a fight. This is risky," she said quietly.

And they only had ten people.

Connor nodded. "If I had a choice, I wouldn't let you come."

Honestly, Lydia could have left all this to him. No matter what, he would have gotten Luke back. But Lydia wasnt the type to sit back She could save Luke herself, and she wasn't about to let anyone else take her place.

She raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with fighting side by side?

Connor gave her a soft, helpless smile and reached over to ruffle her hair. "Nothing at all."

He couldn't help feeling proud. His fianc e was amazing.

"Your eyes aren't fully healed yet. Be careful, okay?"

Lydia knew exactly how skilled Connor was. Even Theodore, the notorious Northruler of the Azure Alliance had lost to him She wasn't being humble. If Connor ever went all out, she wasn't sure she could beat him.

Still, it would be pitch black when they arrived. Even though her treatment had helped his eyes a lot the darkness would still affect his vision out here stray bullets didn't care who they hit. If Connor got hurt trying to save Luke, Lydia would never forgive herself.

Connor just looked at her, unfazed. Don't you trust me?

"Of course I do..."

"Then relax. Your treatment fixed most of the damage. My eyesight's about eighty

percent back. Even at night, it won't be a problem.

He sounded almost excited. It had been a while since he'd had a real fight.

Suddenly, Sweet Potato leaned forward, pointing at the water below. "Lydia, look! They're there!"