If Tomorrow Never Comes

Starting To Fall Apart

In lifeboat number six, Nigel Kipling looked back at the Titanic, transfixed by the sight of the dying liner. the bowsprit was now barely above the waterline. Another one of Boxhall's rockets exploded overhead. It lit up the whole area, and illuminated about half a dozen boats in the water, spreading out from the ship.

"Now there's somethin' you don't see everyday," Molly Brown uttered in the coldness next to him.

...

With a loud crash, a wooden door frame splintered and a door burst open under the force of Andy's shoulder. She stumbled out with Miranda right behind her into the widest corridor of the ship. A steward who was herding people nearby, marched over.

"Hey! You'll have to pay for that, you know. That's White Star Line property--"

Miranda and Andy spun around together to face him. 

"Shut up!" They shouted simultaneously, and joined the steerage stragglers going aft. In places the corridor was almost completely blocked by large families carrying all their luggage.

An Irish woman gave Miranda a blanket, more for modesty than because she was blue lipped and shivering.

"Here, lass, cover yerself."

Andy rubbed the editor's arms and tried to warm her up as they walked along.

They tried a number of doors and iron gates along the way, finding them all locked.

Rushing through the corridors and coming up on a stairwell, the couple found Lily, standing with Helga Dahl and her family. She spun around at Andy's voice. Two two came into an enormous hug.

"The boats are all going!" Lily shouted.

"We gotta get up there or we're gonna be gargling saltwater. Where's Doug?" Andy asked.

Lily pointed over the heads of the solidly packed crowd to the stairwell. Doug had his hands on the bars of the steel gate which blocked the head of the stairwell. The crew opened the gate a foot or so and a few women managed to squeeze through.

"Women only! No men. No men!" the stewards were shouting. However, some of the men, not understanding English, tried to rush through the gap, forcing the gate open. The crewmen and stewards pushed them back, shoving and even punching them.

"Get back! Get back you lot! Lock the gate."

They struggled to get the gate closed again, while one of the stewards brandished a small revolver. They locked the gate, and a cry went up among the crowd who surged forward, pounding against the steel and shouting in many different languages.

"For the love oig God, man, there are women and children down here. Let us up so we have a chance!" Doug screamed.

The crewmen were scared now. The situation had gotten out of hand and there was now a mob. Doug eventually gave up and pushed his way back down through the crowd rejoining Lily, Andy, and Miranda.

"It's hopeless that way," he said.

"Well, whatever we're goin' to do, we better do it fast," Andy said, and in a sense of urgency, the group stalked off, running along the halls.

...

There was a loud clunk as Irv Ravitz opened his safe and reached inside. Christian Thompson watched from behind as he pulled out two stacks of bills, still banded by bank wrappers. He then took out The Heart Of The Ocean, putting it in the pocket of his overcoat, the locking the safe.

"I make my own luck," Irv smirked and held up the stack of bills.

"So do I," Christian grinned and flashed his .45 tucked into his waistband.