The revolt broke out in coordinated bursts. Workers poured from hidden corners of the ship. Confusion struck the crew. Shouts rang out as steel clanged against steel. The workers tried their best to subdue the crew and their captors. They tried their best to hold down the fort and keep the crew distracted from the coast guards’ arrival.
As the uprising took hold, Katherine’s backup team arrived by sea. Coast Guard officers stormed the vessel from the port side while local police secured the decks. The captain tried to retreat, but it was too late—he was tackled, restrained, and placed in cuffs as the ship rocked beneath them.
Katherine didn’t rest. With Ahmed beside her, she began opening every locked container. One by one, families stepped into the light. Their eyes, wide with disbelief, filled with tears. There were mothers holding infants, elders barely able to stand.
The ship was turned toward the coast, under official escort. At port, an emergency relief camp had already been prepared—blankets, food, medical help. Officials worked in silence, many visibly shaken by what they saw. Katherine and Ahmed watched as the families disembarked, faces weary, but no longer resigned to silence.