Titanic - The Heart Goes On By HL Griffiths

(Sequel to The Heart Never Lies)

Chapter Fourteen– At Lake Wisotta Part two

Mid October 1912

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin

LAKE WISOTTA

Cal

It pained my heart and made my head spin as I crouched low behind the bramble bush, watching HIM the gutter rat as large as life, the blonde hair catching the sun. His laugh echoing round the lake. She was lying next to him, dressed like a peasant wench; she was laughing too, their happy laughter carrying on the wind. They were kissing.

She was never like this with me, cold and formal. If I kissed her she'd turn her cheek and wince, all ice princess. What did he have that I didn't. He could not offer anything to her. I could give her the world.

"Open your heart to me Rose" I had whispered when I gave the Heart of the Ocean. She had looked at me clear cold eyes pretending she hadn't heard me.

Bonner kneeling next to me nudged me. Tears filled my eyes. I could not take my eyes off the horrendous image of Rose kissing Jack passionately, blonde hair and red combined.

Oh what a journey to find them. The private detective had traced them to Santa Monica and lots of bribes and

co-ersion later the station master had revealed their whereabouts as they had left by train.

Arriving in the hick hillbilly town by car, money had soon loosened the tongue of the innkeeper who was quick to let me know how the young Dawson's had arrived home. Master Jack and his girl were living in ramshackle farmhouse with the elderly Aunty and Uncle. Eagle eyed Bonner had been told by a neighbor where they had gone with a picnic hamper.

So here we were. Bonner nudged me again in the ribs. I looked at him, He was no Lovejoy. He was a valet in a thousand but Bonner was astute and loyal. As I shifted my body, my foot snapped a twig. It sounded like a gun shot. I held my breath and cursed inwardly.

Rose nearby gave a small gasp and clung Jack. He spun around and jumped to his feet panic on his steerage rat face.

"Who's there?" he shouted.

Bonner tapped his pocket to indicate to me he had his gun I nodded reaching into my pocket for mine. The gun I had procured on the Carpathia from a steward. It had enabled me to lure Rose from the dockside and now it would help me secure her again. A smile played on my lips.

She would be mine again, I would get rid of the gutter snipe once and for all and the Hockley fortune would be rightfully mine.

Rose

I crouched behind Jack. He was shouting for whoever it was to come out.

I knew, he was like poison drip feeding into my life. He was so close I could almost smell him. The hairs on my neck stood up in terror. I held myself tightly crouched down in a tiny ball.

"Come out, we know your there" Jack screamed, whirling about looking desperately.

I heard rustling behind us and Jack and I turned to the sound of the noise

"Hello Sweetpea" droned a familiar voice turning my blood cold. I felt the colour drain form my face.

Cal was stood there dressed in a black suit. He had a gun trained on us. Bonner was next to him his gun aimed at Jacks head.

Jack gulped and pushed me behind him.

"Cal," he said quietly "What do you want?"

Jack

The gun barrel was trained on me. Cal walked towards me his dark eyes narrowed and cold. They glittered with an unexplainable intensity. Rose was shivering behind me.

"Hello Gutter Rat" he mocked "I have come for what is mine"

"No" Rose cried and stumbled to her feet "I will never go with you" she screamed at him. She clutched my arm tightly.

Cals eyes drank her in; he gazed at her with hungry eyes then his expression contorted. "YOU'RE PREGNANT" he yelled with the anguish of a wounded animal.

Cal

"Rose" I cried. My body in shock. She was pregnant. Her belly distended, heavy with child. Anger chilled my blood.

"How could you" I cried hysterically "How could you, MY WIFE, do it with him, have a brat by him!!!!"

Bonner glanced sideways at me and took charge.

"You Boy" he barked at Jack. "Over here" Jack grabbed Rose tighter.

"Get off her" I yelled. Bonner went forward and gestured Jack to stand to one side " Jack was whispering to Rose it would be alright

He stepped to one side and I walked up to him slowly. Fear in those blue eyes but defiance too.

"You little shit, I will make you pay. I always win I told you that on the boat, you should have drowned, you piece of trash " I slammed my fist into his stomach hard. He fell awkwardly.

"Jack! Please Cal don't" Roses was screaming. Bonner walked over the prone Jack and pulled him to his feet and frog marched him off with the gun pointed in his back "Rose, stay strong" Jack shouted.

"JACK" JACK" Rose was wailing. I walked over to her.

Tear tracks down her face; she trembled and recoiled as I reached her

"Rose, my sweet Rose" I said softly and touched her much loved face.

Images playing in my head. Rose and I in Paris on her sixteenth birthday, me asking her to marry me Her smiles and acceptance, the only time she had kissed me with passion. It was so good at the start. We visited museums, went to parties, danced laughed and joked, when had the rot set in? By Titanic she was freezing me out. The more I tried to love her the more cold she was.

I waved the gun in her face.

The green eyes filled with tears. Her body horribly distorted by the baby. Her clothes looked like shit. Her rich hair in a milkmaid's simple ponytail. She looked like trash.

"You look a fright, what have you done to yourself?" I said belligerently.

"You can't do this Cal" she wept.

"I am married to Jack, this is his baby, you can't do this, please just leave" she pleaded her voice trembling.

I went right up to her and grabbed an arm and hissed in her face

"I can do what I want; we are leaving together, we'll get the brat adopted then you'll be MY WIFE, Do you understand?"

Tears fell faster down her face

"I am Jacks wife Cal, I will never come with you" She spat out.

"What does he have that I don't?" I spat back

"LOVE, LOVE! I LOVE HIM" she retorted "I never loved you"

The words hurt. Oh it hurt

"You forget yourself my dear" I said sarcastically. Anger blurring my vision.

"I am a Hockley; if you don't behave and do as you're told the gutter rat dies"

"JACK" she screamed with a voice full of anguish.

Nearby Bonner had Jack kneeling with his hands on the back of his head, Bonner had the pistol in the back his neck

"One word and Bonner will blow him away" I crowed. "Execute him like a dog!"

"Now will you come with me Rose," I barked at her and laughed.

Defeat crept in her eyes "You leave me no choice" she said quietly "Don't hurt Jack, please"

Our eyes met. "He's dead either way" I said coldly. She started to yell inhumanly. I slapped her face hard and she stopped, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

"Cal, please don't hurt Rose and the baby" Jack called faintly.

I could not believe the Gutter rat was still trying to protect her after I had then caught like a rabbit in snare.

Bonner smashed him in the back of the head with the gun and Jack collapsed unconscious.

"Please Cal" Rose whimpered, snot running down her face.

"Please, Please" her words faded. She was whipped, broken. Mine now, right where I wanted her. And I knew it!

"Right Bitch where is the necklace you took, I will have that back too" I demanded.

Gerard

Coming back from my walk I heard raised voices shouts and screams. I ducked back into the undergrowth and made my way to the sounds on hands and knees.

I heard a familiar voice demanding that Rose was coming back with him. Caledon!!!

Oh my god he had found them I did not know how but he had...

I reached behind me and felt a large knurled heavy stick; I picked it up and with my heart thumping in my hest I crept up towards the valet who had his back to me, who had Jack before him lying still.

Was I too late was Jack dead?.

Roses anguished sobs tore my heart Cal was caressing her cheek with his hands. She looked terrified. He was waving a gun about like a lunatic.

My brother was mad, did he think he could take anything he wanted at any cost. What had my father done to warp him to be this twisted sicko!!

I surveyed the scene. Both Cal and the valet had their backs to me. I had to act.

Jack groaned and came round; the valet grabbed by the collar and hauled him onto his knees execution style.

Adrenaline pumped through me. I raised the stick higher and charged full tilt at the valet, yelling like a marauding warrior.

Jack

I could feel the metallic coldness of the gun in my neck. Bonner was sniggering. Fear made me numb. I was cornered. My head thumped with pain.

Rose was sobbing hard. Cal was murmuring gibberish to her and touching her face and she was stood unmoving.

I did not want to die. Not like this. I had almost died once after the boat sank, I was not ready to die. I could not lose Rose twice.

"Jack I heard her cry. "Jack" in a cracked moan.

The next sound that filled my ears came from behind me, an animalistic war cry. Quick running movements and a sickening thud!

Bonner behind me fell down behind heavily. His blood splattering me.

"Jack, Jack are you ok??"

It was Gerard. He had felled Bonner with a crack across the head. He stood panting holding the heavy stick.

Cal

I heard Bonner fall down, I whirled round the gun poised. Jack was scrambling to his feet. Bonner on the deck, bleeding from his head. Gerard my brother stood there wielding a heavy bit of tree. Anger flashing in his normally bland eyes.

"CALEDON PUT THE GUN DOWN!" He commanded. I sneered at him

"NO" I cried. He would not win

"You can't have the fortune Gerard, you cant, Father will reinstate it me once I marry Rose"

I pulled Rose close to me, she whimpered and tried to pull back but I held her firm.

"Cal" Jack shouted "She's legally married to me, You cant undo that, let her go she's not use to you now"

I eyed him up, he stepped forward.

"Get back" I demanded.

"Rosie is coming with me" I pointed the gun at him.

Jack

Cals face was sneering and cruel, he started to walk off dragging Rose at gunpoint. Gerard and looked at each other helplessly.

Rose was crying pitifully. This was not good for the baby.

I made a decision

It could lead to me being shot

"Cal" I called. He stopped and looked at me "I'll trade you"

"What" he said, confusion replacing his gloating expression.

"The necklace I have the "Heart of the Ocean" I said I slowly edged towards the picnic basket

"Where is it?" he cried and took his eyes from Rose and fixed them on me.

"Trade" I shouted harshly "Rose for the necklace"

"Never, I want both" he yelled, waving the gun in the air.

Rose and I looked at each other. I nodded to her "Trust me" I mouthed. Her eyes widened and she nodded back briefly understanding.

"Get the necklace" he barked and stepped away from Rose and walked towards me. I stared him down. I would have to call his bluff

I smiled "Ok you win, I'll let you have the necklace and Rose, come and get it"

Cal smiled "I knew you'd see sense Jack" he said.

I moved keeping my eyes on him and pulled the necklace out from the hamper.

The sunlight bounced off it as I swung it back and forth.

"Is this it?" I played with Cal.

"Give it to me" he came closer, our eyes locked

This was a game and Caledon Hockley was going to lose for the first time ever.

He was nearly on top of me I could feel his hot breath, his eyes transfixed on the flashing diamond necklace.

"Here you are" I said keeping my tone normal.

Cals hand reached out for it, his eyes gleaming.

In the last instance before he touched it I threw it hard to the right.

Cal gave a scream of anguish and dived for it dropping his gun and as he lost concentration on me I smashed him hard on the chin and he spun around and he fell like a stone!

"That's courtesy of the Chippewa Falls Dawson's" I mocked. He was out cold. The necklace lying just short of his fingertips.

"Jack" Rose said and ran in to my arms and I embraced her tightly

"It's over Rose, Its over", He'll never win again" I told her.

Both Cal and the Valet out for the count! Both lying inert on the ground.

Gerard ran over "I'll sort my brother out and that Valet too, I have the guns, I'll have to get the polive involved and then they will escort my stupid brother home and explain his actions to Father. A pig my father may be but he would not condone murder"".

Rose just cried in my arms, shaken and upset.

"I'll never let go of you Rose, never" I swore. "You are my wife for always"

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A/N - Yes I know like it reads like the final scene but haven't finished yet. Watch this space. MORE TO COME!!