Everyone on board could feel a subtle shift beneath their feet. The realization that the ship had stopped and they had reached the location where the trafficker had taken them made their blood run cold, and in an instant, every nerve tensed.
Everyone immediately turned off the flashlights on their phones, then a second later, the container was pitch black again. The children and women were ushered to the rear, trembling hands guiding them back, while the men stepped forward, forming a fragile line of defense. Hearts pounded as their breath slowed; they braced themselves for what was about to come.
Suddenly, the harsh scrape of metal echoed through the confined space. They heard the lock disengage, followed by the heavy slide of a bar being pulled free. A moment later, the door groaned open, inch by inch, until a blinding flood of sunlight poured in, cutting through the darkness like a blade.
