Chapter Thirteen

Going Topside

Grant Owens loved his daughter dearly. She was the only living creature whose life he placed above his own, especially since his wife died. It was why he doted on her, catered to her every whim, gave her everything her heart desired.

But he wasn't sure she was using her best judgment when she asked him to get Hinrik into a lifeboat.

She'd told him what he'd said when they'd retreated into the bedroom, how he'd called off the engagement and told her that he'd never loved her. It had broken his heart to hear his daughter so upset, her voice trembling, on the verge of tears. He knew deep down that his daughter could be a little tiresome (though he'd never admit it to anyone, not even himself if truth be told), but he knew that she liked Hinrik. Why, he wasn't quite sure. He'd never seen anything in Stanford's boy except a rebellious nature that made him question and undermine everything he'd ever stood for. He'd kept quiet and let his daughter pursue him, and he'd given the boy his blessing when he'd come to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. But he couldn't say that he'd ever really liked Hinrik.

And now Heather wanted to make sure the man got off the ship safely. And that the steerage girl he'd become infatuated with did not.

Well, he wasn't quite sure how he'd do it, but Grant Owens was not about to deprive his daughter of anything. Not even with the ship sinking underneath him.

He was in her stateroom at the moment, fulfilling the other half of her request and filling the pockets of his topcoat with her favorite pieces of jewelry. Satisfied, he hurried over to his own room, his valet Milton following behind him. He crammed stacks of dollar bills into his pockets as well. Perhaps these would come in handy when trying to get Hinrik in a lifeboat. In any case, it never hurt to have money on one's person.

"I make my own luck," he remarked to Milton.

"So do I," the old man replied, pulling back his jacket to reveal a pistol tucked into his belt.

Grant raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. He supposed everyone had their own way of getting what they wanted. He could only hope that his was effective.

…

Scotland Road, the widest passageway on the entire ship, was a corridor that ran the length of the ship on E Deck, used by crew and steerage alike. At the moment it was swarming with confused passengers being herded aft by several harried-looking stewards. It was a problematic business: there was no standard or procedure for dealing with the third class passengers aboard the Titanic, and the language barrier was only complicating matters. The stewards all spoke English and very few understood the incessant babbling coming from the mouths of countless immigrants from all over Europe.

So it really wasn't surprising that one of the stewards lost his temper when a crowd of four people came bursting through a closed door, splintering the wooden doorframe with a loud crash that made several people turn and look.

"I gotta hand it to you," Hinrik said, looking over at Astrid in mingled alarm and admiration, "you sure know how to use that axe."

Said axe was immediately ripped from Astrid's grip by the angry steward, who bellowed, "Here you! You'll have to pay for that, you know! That's White Star Line property—"

But Hinrik, Astrid, Riley, and Terry had been dealing with their own set of problems. From the stairwell that led up to D Deck they'd run down as far as they could go before running into a crowd of people so thick they could barely take a step in any direction. The only course open to them was another set of stairs, which led to this mercifully dry section of E Deck. None of them had any idea how to get back up to the lifeboats, so they really couldn't be blamed for snapping back at the man who was blathering on about paying for damages to a sinking ship.

"Shut up!" they all yelled in unison, and the steward staggered back, eyes wide. Even armed with Astrid's confiscated axe, he apparently felt that dealing with all four of these wet and bedraggled passengers was pushing his luck, for he let them go without another word.

Hinrik led the others aft, struggling in some areas to slip past passengers carrying their luggage with them. These trunks and bags contained all their worldly possessions and they were unwilling to part with them. The din was incredible: a hundred yelling voices all shouting in their native tongues, shouting questions, screaming hysterically, all of it echoing off the white walls and reverberating up the entire passage.

And then, from just up ahead, they heard a familiar voice with a strong Scandinavian accent bellow, "For God's sake man, there are women and children down here! Let us out so we can have a chance!"

"Sven?" Astrid called. "Finn? Where are you?"

They had reached another stairwell, also blocked by a set of those lattice gates. Sven, who had been at the front of the crowd screaming at the steward guarding the gate from the other side, now pushed his way back down toward them, Finn trailing behind them. "Astrid!" he yelled. "Riley! There you are! We've been looking all over!"

"Got held up," Hinrik explained, and Sven's eyes shot over to him, widening slightly. He was clearly wondering what a first class passenger was doing down in steerage at a time like this, but he didn't ask and no one bothered to fill him in. There were more important matters to worry about.

"Can we get out that way?" Terry asked, pointing to the stairwell Sven and Finn had just come from.

"No," Finn replied. "It's hopeless. They keep saying we have to wait for first and second class to go and then they'll let us up."

Hinrik's heart missed a beat. "By that time all the boats will have gone." They all turned to look at him, shocked, and he explained, "There aren't enough for everyone aboard. We have to get up there now." He looked around, considering, and then added, "Let's keep going that way. Maybe we'll find another path up."

No one argued, so Hinrik led the way, heading further aft, shoving through swarms of people and baggage. He held Astrid's hand in a vice grip, frightened at the mere thought of losing her in this crowd. They passed a woman sobbing hysterically on the floor, a dark-skinned couple arguing while the husband rifled through a dictionary, trying to translate a sign posted on the wall, a young mother changing her baby's diaper on top of a steamer trunk.

Hinrik's heart leapt: there was another stairwell ahead, a narrower one, and there was no gate blocking it off. "Here!" he called to the others. "This way!"

Their relief was short-lived. They made it up two decks before they found their way blocked once more. Hinrik swore under his breath as he made his way to the front of the crowd gathered in front of the gate. Addressing the steward on the other side he ordered, "Open this gate."

The steward, looking as though he'd said this a thousand times that night and was getting tired of repeating himself, replied, "Go back down to the main stairwell, it'll all get sorted out there."

Hinrik got as close to the gate as he could and snarled, "Open this gate right now!"

The steward didn't relent. "Go back to the main stairwell like I told you."

Hinrik fell back, deflating. Now what could he do? He couldn't go back down there. They'd never get up in time. And he didn't know what other obstacles lay in other areas of the ship. This was their surest way to getting up to the Boat Deck, but there was simply no reasoning with the steward.

Astrid, however, was beyond reasoning. "Goddamn it all to hell, you son of a bitch!" she screamed, banging her fists against the gate with enough strength to make it shake and rattle violently.

Hinrik stared at her, suddenly afraid. She was downright terrifying when she was angry. But his attention was quickly diverted by the sound of breaking wood. Looking behind him, he saw Riley, Terry, Sven, and Finn heaving on a bench that had once been attached to the floor on the landing. But now they were holding it up, one person at each corner, and Hinrik saw at once what they were doing. They were going to use the bench as a battering ram. "Astrid, move aside!" he said, pulling her out of the way. "Everyone get back, move aside, quickly!"

"On three!" Sven yelled. "One!"

"Put that down!" the steward shrieked, suddenly panicking. "Put that down right now!"

"Two!" Riley and Terry said together.

The steward, seeing that there was no stopping them, decided it was best to get out of the way and retreated down the corridor.

"Three!" Finn shouted, and they charged forward. The bench rammed into the gate, which bent and bulged under the attack but still held.

"Again!" Sven bellowed, and they backed up and ran at it once more. This time the gate broke free and collapsed with a crash. A swarm of steerage passengers immediately surged up the stairs toward freedom. Dropping the bench, Sven, Finn, and the twins rejoined Hinrik and Astrid.

"Nice one!" Astrid congratulated them.

"Well we couldn't let you have all the fun," Riley retorted, and Terry laughed.

…

Up on the Boat Deck, the mood was no longer light. By now the people were starting to understand that something was seriously wrong. The band had assembled near the entrance to the grand staircase and was playing upbeat, cheery ragtime tunes, but they couldn't disguise the fact that the ship was now listing noticeably toward the bow with a slight tilt to port. The prow and forward well deck were totally submerged, with the sea now lapping at the base of the B Deck promenade. The rockets continuing to go off at regular intervals only served to remind them that their situation was turning dire. It was no longer a problem to fill the lifeboats. Instead, the problem was keeping back crowds of passengers who were swarming the boats, hoping to find a seat, teetering on the brink of total panic. Officers were yelling for people to stay calm, passengers were crying and screaming, and somewhere gunshots rang out as a desperate officer tried to keep order. The situation was quickly spiraling out of control.

This was what awaited Hinrik and the others when they finally emerged onto the Boat Deck. The cold night air made them all gasp but they had no time to adjust. They had a much bigger problem.

"The boats are gone!" Hinrik cried, and indeed all the boats this far aft had already been launched. He looked around desperately and his eyes fell on a familiar figure. "Gunnar!" he called, running toward his friend. Gunnar was escorting two very frightened-looking women by the arms. In stark contrast to the commotion surrounding him, he looked quite calm and composed.

"Hinrik?" he said, eyes swiftly roving over the group. "Why are you wet?"

Hinrik didn't answer the question. "Are there any boats left, Gunnar?"

"Yes, there are still a couple all the way forward," he replied. "Come along, I'll lead you—"

Hinrik didn't wait. He seized Astrid's hand and took off toward the bow with the others right behind him, leaving Gunnar and the ladies behind. They sprinted past the band as they continued playing. "Music to drown by," Sven remarked. "Now I know I'm in first class!"

They came to a stop at the edge of a crowd huddled around one of the last boats and pushed their way toward the front. "Women and children only!" the officer was yelling. "Only women and children at this time please!"

"Darling, please get into the boat," a man pleaded with his wife, and Astrid's eyes widened. It was Mr. Masterson, her dinner companion of the previous night. He was trying to convince his wife to get into the lifeboat, but she was tearfully refusing.

"No!" she cried. "No, I won't get it! I'm not going without you! I won't leave you!"

Mr. Masterson looked torn, and Astrid understood why. He was touched by her loyalty, but he loved her enough to want to ensure her safety. He pulled his wife into a tight embrace, tears welling in his eyes.

Astrid looked up at Hinrik, feeling the bottom of her stomach dissolve. She knew they were about to be separated. Could she allow it?

On their other side, Riley wasn't given an option. "Here!" Sven called, waving his hand in an attempt to catch the officer's attention. "There's a woman here! Let her on!"

The officer waved them forward, and Sven, Finn, and Terry all ushered the bewildered girl toward the boat. "No!" she yelped as she was shoved rather forcefully into a seat. "Terry!"

"I'll be all right, sis," Terry said with a grin. "I'm indestructible, remember? I'll be okay." He clasped her hand for a moment and added, "See you in New York."

Riley smiled sadly and squeezed his fingers. "I'd better," she replied. "Or else I'm gonna kick your butt!"

Terry chuckled and released her hand, drawing back into the crowd. Sven and Finn hurried forward to take his place. Each of them grabbed one of her hands and planted a kiss on her knuckles. "See you later, babe," Sven remarked.

"Bye, Riley," Finn whispered. "It's been a real pleasure."

Riley didn't know what to say, so she smiled at them both as they too backed away. "We're gonna check the other side," Finn told Hinrik and Astrid. "Maybe they're letting men off in some of the other boats."

Hinrik nodded and said, "Good luck."

"Don't need luck," Sven retorted with a grin. "I'm a Jorgenson." He clasped Hinrik's hand for the briefest moment, a sign of solidarity and acceptance, before he, Finn, and Terry all disappeared into the crowd.

Astrid, however, didn't move. She turned to look up at Hinrik and said calmly, "I'm not going."

Hinrik blinked. "You have to go."

"No, Hinrik," Astrid replied, shaking her head. "I'm not going. Not without you."

"Astrid, please," Hinrik took her by the arms and stared into her eyes. They were steely and determined, but he didn't falter. "Get in the boat. Please, Astrid."

"No," she said simply.

Hinrik just gazed at her for a moment. Then he smiled weakly. "There's no arguing with you, is there?"

Astrid's lips quirked. "You know me so well."

Hinrik chuckled and pulled her into a warm embrace. Astrid hugged him back, wrapping her arms around him and holding his body as close to her own as she could, hoping he couldn't feel her trembling.

"There you are!"

They broke apart in surprise as Grant Owens hurried up to them. "Hinrik, dear boy, you look a fright!" he exclaimed, eyeing Hinrik from head to foot. He pulled off his topcoat and put it over the younger man's shoulders. "Here, put that on. You must be freezing in those wet clothes."

He was, but Hinrik was too stunned to say anything. He slid his arms through the sleeves before turning back to Astrid. "Come on. Let's…I don't know. Let's go to the stern, I guess, and wait it out there. Maybe we can swim for it when she goes down."

Astrid nodded, but before they could move, Grant grabbed Hinrik by the arm. He looked back at him in surprise. "Wait a moment, lad," Grant huffed. "I must get you into this boat!"

Hinrik frowned. "I can't go," he said simply. "It's women and children first."

"Don't worry about that," Grant replied airily. "I'll arrange it with the officer, you'll have nothing to—"

"No," Hinrik said, tearing his arm out of Grant's grip. "I won't stoop that low."

And with that he turned away. Grant looked from Hinrik to the boat, which was just starting to lower. His heart missed a beat. He couldn't fail at this! He'd promised Heather to get Hinrik into a boat! She was counting on him! He couldn't let his daughter down!

The boat was sliding down toward the water.

Grant lashed out and seized Hinrik by the elbow. Startled, Hinrik didn't think to fight back as he was forcibly dragged toward the edge of the deck, pulled out of Astrid's grip. "Mr. Owens, what—?!"

Grant shoved Hinrik with all his might, and the next second Hinrik's feet left the deck. He was falling backward into nothingness. He heard Astrid scream his name but couldn't respond. He yelled as he toppled, and then suddenly his back collided with something hard. Pain shot up his spine and through his skull, and he groaned. He'd landed in the lifeboat.

"Hinrik!" Astrid cried, leaning over the edge and staring down at him. "Hinrik! Are you all right?"

Hinrik blinked several times and looked up at her. For a second he couldn't figure out what had happened. One moment he'd been on the deck with Astrid, and now he was…

Then it clicked. "Astrid!" he shouted, standing up and stretching his arm out, but by now the boat was too low for him to reach her. "No! Astrid!"

"It's okay, Hinrik!" Astrid called, and she was smiling sadly. "I'll be fine. I'll find a seat in another boat." She blew him a kiss. "I'll see you soon, Hinrik."

Hinrik shook his head frantically. Words failed him. Several of the women in the boat gently pulled him back down onto the bench. "There, there, dear boy," one of them soothed. "You'll be fine now. Don't you worry."

Riley, who had watched all this with wide, bewildered eyes, now touched him on the shoulder. "It'll be fine, Hinrik," she soothed. "Astrid's strong. She's a survivor. She'll get through this, I know it."

Hinrik just continued to shake his head as he dropped lower and lower. Astrid's face was getting smaller and smaller, and he knew that this was the last time he'd ever see her alive. Her chances of getting in a boat were slim. There were so few of them left and so many passengers still on board. She'd never get on a boat before the ship sank. And once she was thrown into the freezing water…

Another rocket went off, shooting up into the sky and bursting into a myriad of stars, bathing Astrid and the Titanic in golden light. He felt his heart constrict and tears started to well in his eyes.

The lifeboat was now level with the A Deck promenade.

Without thinking about it, without pausing to consider his actions, Hinrik stood up and lunged for the side of the boat. Ignoring the startled cries of the other people around him, he jumped back onto the sinking Titanic.