Chapter 96: Foreign Forces.

On a moonless night, they blanketed the vast expanse of the ocean in an inky blackness, the only illumination coming from the faint glimmer of stars scattered across the velvety sky. A brisk wind whipped across the choppy waters, carrying the salty scent of salt and the promise of danger lurking just beyond the horizon. On the massive cargo ship's deck, a tense silence reigned, broken only by the rhythmic creaking of the hull as it sliced through the restless waves. Eric's men stood vigilant at their posts, eyes scanning the endless darkness for any sign of threat. Little did they know that their enemy was already upon them. In the distance, a sleek vessel cut through the water like a knife, its running lights extinguished to avoid detection. Aboard this ominous ship, a highly trained squad of mercenaries prepared for the impending assault, their faces concealed behind balaclavas and their bodies adorned with an array of lethal weaponry. The strike team leader, a grizzled v