Chapter 1:
"Shut up!" they both yelled in unison to the steward penalizing them for breaking a door to survive on a sinking ship. How stupid.
Jack, with Rose holding his hand firmly, approached the main stairwell of third class that lead up to the upper levels.
They stopped at the back of the crowd of desperate passengers. Jack looked over people to see what was going on at the top. He had to admit, it didn't look good.
"Jack!" Helga called and tapped him on the shoulder.
He swung round and put his arm round hers as reassurance.
"Where's Fabrizio?" he asked her.
She gestured to the corridor to their right, full of people running about and shouting. Fabrizio had left the group a while earlier to find a way out. Helga was worried about him.
Jack started to lead them in the direction Helga pointed to when she gestured up the stairs at Tommy who was futilely trying to get the stewards to let people up.
He turned around, giving up. He saw Jack and the others and went over to them to relay the news.
"Jack!" he shouted, albeit a bit too close than he intended.
"Tommy!" Jack replied, glad to see his friend. "Can we get out?"
"It's hopeless that way!" Tommy shouted. He was angry at the stewards. He accepted that he might be shouting everything from now on.
Jack looked round, he needed to find Fabrizio and the Gundersons as well as Cora and her parents. "Well, whatever we do, we've got to do it fast." He knew they didn't have all the time in the world.
Rose said nothing during all of these as she knew Jack had to take command of the situation. She couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of Jack for helping everyone even if he hardly knew some of them, especially the Dahls.
Just then, the recognisable voice of Fabrizio was dominant over everyone else's voices. "Jack!" he called as he burst from the crowds to embrace his friend.
"Fabrizio!" they went up to each other and briefly exchanged a hug.
"The boats are all gone!" Fabrizio said in a defeated tone.
"This whole place is flooding. We've got to get out of here" Jack said commanding them.
Fabrizio looked around, distraught "There's Niente this way!" He turned to comfort Helga.
"Alright," Jack announced, "Let's go this way."
Fabrizio tugged Helga's arm as they tried to go down the corridor but she resisted.
He called for Jack and the others to stop. Olaf was denying Helga to go. Fabrizio attempted to convince him and his wife to come along with them.
"Everyone, we go. We go to the boats, the boatsa! They going! Come on!"
Olaf kept shaking his head, either not understanding that he and Mrs. Dahl were invited or that they would be safe if they left.
Fabrizio was becoming desperate, he didn't want to leave his beloved Helga behind to die. He repeated his pleas again and again.
Jack, Tommy and Rose exchanged a look and all grabbed Mr and Mrs Dahl and bring them along.
The Dahls immediately understood that they were allowed to join the others and that it would probably be a good idea to do so.
Olaf felt rather embarrassed but said nothing as they hurried out to another corridor.