Cargo Ship Encounters Pirates – But What the Ship's Cook Does Next Stuns Them All!

Manny stood frozen. The galley fell utterly quiet except for the low hiss of the adobo pot behind him. Where was everyone? Where was Joel? Where was Captain Holm? Usually, at 11:45, the crew mess next door was already half-full of engineers arguing over football or shouting for coffee. Now, the corridor outside was dead quiet. No footsteps, no voices, no engine thrum.

The engine, Manny realized with a cold pit forming in his stomach. It stopped. They must have hit the emergency alarm while his radio was blasting. The crew wasn't coming for lunch. They were already gone. "The captain," the tall man repeated, stepping closer until Manny could smell salt water and stale sweat on his coat. "Take me to him. Now."

Manny glanced at the young man with the knife by the door, then back to the tall leader. If they were up here looking for the crew, it meant they hadn't found them yet. Manny looked around, "There's no captain. There's nobody. They saw your boats and ran for the lifeboat. All of them. I was making lunch... they forgot me."