*Nineteen*
Boats are Lowered
"Come on, let's get the boats ready." Murdoch instructed.
"Do you really think this ship will sink?" Moody asked.
"Oh, yeah. We were there, Mr. Andrews said it himself." Lowe added sadly.
The officers go to work on the boats. Lowe going with Lightoller to help with the riggings. Murdoch goes through breaking the chains from each boat.
A steward passed Lightoller and Lowe. Lowe suddenly remembered Zipper was probably sleeping.
"Steward, go find my wife. Michaela. She's in B-60. Tell her to get up here." Lowe ordered.
The steward nodded and went in to do what he was told. Lightoller turned to Lowe. "Some wedding present, eh?"
Lowe nodded, not knowing what was going to happen.
Lightoller walked up to Captain Smith. "We're all swung out and ready, Sir."
Captain Smith couldn't reply. He stared off into the night.
"Hadn't we better get the women and children into the boats, sir?" Lightoller asked, straining his voice so the captain could hear about the clatter and shouting.
Still the captain was in shock. "Yes." his voice was not audible to Lightoller.
"Sir?" He asked, straining to hear the captain now.
"Women and children first. Yes." Captain said. Still in a shock and depression.
"Yes, sir!" Lightoller said and turned away from the captain to gather the women and children.
The steward walked speedily to the room. Pounding on the door, when he discovered it was open a crack. He slowly pushed it open.
"Mrs. Lowe?" He called. No answer. The staterooms were empty of it's guests. Even the maid was no where to be seen. She must be in the laundry room, or something. He reassured himself. And set out to find the maid. Surely she'd know where Zipper was.
Meanwhile, Zipper creeps up behind Lovejoy, Rose and Jack. She sees him slip the Heart of the Ocean into Jack's pocket. Jack and Rose disappear into the stateroom.
Zipper races up to Lovejoy, pulling him backwards.
"What do you think you're doing. Framing him?!" She accused.
He stared at her a long moment. Allowing her to see he wasn't going to back away from the orders he had received from Cal.
"Jack!" She screamed a warning. Lovejoy slapped his hand over her mouth.
"Shut up!" He demanded. "Get out of here." He opened his jacket to reveal a pearl handled gun. She stared at it in awe. She knew he had it, but it frightened her nonetheless.
She slowly backed away. She'd help Jack later, she knew this was how it was supposed to be.
Inside the stateroom. Cal exchanged knowing glances with his valet, Spicer Lovejoy.
"Right, two things very dear to me have disappeared this evening. Now that one is back." Cal looked at Rose. "I have a pretty good idea, of where to find the other. Search him!"
The master-at-arms, stripped Jack of his overcoat. Handing it to Steward Barnes who searches the pockets. While the master-at-arms searches Jack.
"Now, what?" Jack asked disgusted. "And did someone say my name a few minutes ago?"
Of course the master-at-arms and the steward merely thought he was trying to get out of punishment.
"Is this it?" Steward Barnes asked disgustedly, as he pulled the magnificent necklace from Jack's coat pocket.
"That's it." Cal said, taking it from the steward.
Jack stares on in anger and confusion. "This is horseshit!"
He looked at Rose who stares on in disbelief. How could the man she loves steal from her like that. She didn't know what, or who to believe.
"He couldn't have!" Rose said in Jack's defense.
"Sure he could. It's easy enough for a professional." Cal answered.
Rose's mind went back to the stateroom. She remembered seeing Jack in the mirror as she unlocked the safe. He could have seen her unlock the combination lock. Memorizing the combination.
"I was with him the whole time. This is absurd!" Rose announced. Trying to convince herself more than anyone else.
Cal stepped up behind Rose, leaning in so she could hear his whispered comment. "Perhaps he did it, while you were putting your clothes back on, dear."
She looked at Jack, knowing that could very well be true. Her mind raced, her heart hurt.
"Real slick, Cal." Jack said, he turned his attention to Rose. "Rose, they put it in my pocket."
"Shut up!" Cal demanded silence.
"It isn't even you pocket is it?" Lovejoy said holding the label of the coat out for everyone to see. "Property of A. L. Ryerson.
Cal was pleased to see that Jack was a thief after all. Of course only he and Lovejoy knew that he had set Jack up.
"That was reported stolen today." The master-at-arms said, taking the coat.
"Look I was just borrowing it. I was going to return it." Jack said, trying to make them understand.
"Oh, an honest thief. We have an honest thief here, do we?" Cal laughed.
Cal looked at Rose, who was clearly beginning to believe that Jack was a thief.
The master-at-arms drug Jack out of the room. Followed by Lovejoy, who would make sure the thief was locked up properly.
"Don't believe them Rose, you know I didn't do it, Rose. You know me!" Rose could hear Jack's pleas echo down the corridor.
"Men." Ruth said disgustedly. "They'll always hurt us." She wrapped a motherly arm around Rose. Trying to offer her the much needed comfort.
The master-at-arms, Lovejoy, and their prisoner passed by Zipper in the hallway. Zipper and Lovejoy exchanged hateful glances.
"Zip, please! Help me out here." Jack begged.
"Now, now. Lad . Stop fighting." The master-at-arms said. Dragging him along. "There's a good lad. Come on."
"Zip, please. You know I shouldn't be here!" He screamed at her.
Zipper couldn't even look at him. She wanted to help him so much. But the cold eyes of Lovejoy stared at her hard. Keeping her in place. The ceiling light glinted off the polished gun inside his jacket. She knew to stay back.
Inside the suite, Ruth was in her room dressing, because of all the commotion. Rose stood, still in shock about Jack's betrayal. Cal stood in the doorway staring at her for a long moment.
In his mind he saw Jack Dawson's drawing again. His fiancé posed naked for someone she barely knew. That's what made him want to frame Jack. Anger overcame him. Sure, he can be unfaithful to Rose, but when she does it to him. He looses it.
He walked up to her. Not able to find any words to describe his anger. He inhaled deep, then slapped her violently across the face.
"It is a little slut, isn't it?" He asked. She couldn't look at him, the shock from his slap left her in a daze.
"Look at me you little-"
A knock on the door interrupted his threats. A steward walked in.
"I've been asked to tell you to put your lifebelt on, and get up on the boat deck immediately."
"Not now, we're busy." Cal said rudely.
"I'm sorry to inconvenience you Mr. Hockley, but it's captain's orders. Now dress warmly it's quite cold out tonight." Steward Barnes brought out two lifebelts.
He noticed Rose hiding her eye from him. "Not to worry, Miss. I'm sure it's just a precaution." He said comfortingly. Not knowing she had just been hit by her fiancé.
Downstairs the steward found Zipper's maid fairly quickly. He raced up to her.
"Missy." He called. He was familiar with her. They had shared tea on a couple of occasions. "Where is Miss, Rosenberg. Uh- Mrs. Lowe. Whichever, just where is she?"
She looked at him puzzled a moment, as she folded a towel. "In her room, or so I would imagine. What's this all about?"
"I don't know, but the officers are all on deck, all of them. And Officer Lowe sent me to find her." He said.
She nodded. "Well, I guess she'll be back soon enough. She probably went out to get some air. Officer Lowe has probably already found her."
The steward nodded. Knowing she was right. He went on about his duties. Forgetting about Officer Lowe's order.
Meanwhile, in the master-at-arms' office, Jack was handcuffed to a heavy iron pipe. Lovejoy sat at the desk, playing with a silver bullet. The ship was already beginning to tilt from the bow's weight.
"Ya know, I do believe this ship, may sink." Lovejoy said sarcastically. He loaded his gun, and walked over to Jack.
Jack braced himself for death. He was sure he was about to be shot in the head. Lovejoy pointed the gun at Jack's temple. Then in a sudden movement, that Jack was not expecting. Lovejoy punched him hard. In the stomach, knocking the air out of him.
Jack groaned out, as he slumped down. Trying to get past the awful pain of the punch.
"Compliments of Mr. Caledon Hockley." Lovejoy said smugly, he picked up the handcuff key. Stuck it in his pocket, and left Jack alone in this room.
Back on deck, Officer Lowe is struggling with a boats falls. Bruce Ismay is already so guilt-ridden that he's losing his mind. Everything startles him.
A rocket bursts in the sky. He panics. He then spots Officer Lowe struggling with the lines. He walked up to the boat. Lowe not noticing him right away.
"Right, there is no time to waste!" Ismay shouted. "Lower away! Lower away!"
Lowe turns to him angrily. "Get out of the way, you fool!"
"Do you know who I am?" Ismay asked smugly.
Lowe didn't have a clue. And he didn't care. All he could think of was, of course, Zipper. And getting this boat's lines untangled safely.
"You are a passenger! And I am a ship's bloody officer! Now do what you're told!" He turned away from Ismay. Back to his men.
The boat was not full. But he wanted to get it in the water regardless. He wasn't sure how much weight the boat could carry.
"Right! Stand by the falls. Steady!" Officer Lowe ordered.
Ismay numbly walks away, a bit humiliated. "Yes, that's quite right. Sorry"
Lowe waved his arms, lowering the boat. Wishing he had loaded Zipper onto it. But she was nowhere to be seen. The steward hadn't returned yet. But Lowe did not worry or panic just yet.
He watched the confused and grief-stricken faces of the passengers as boat 5 was lowered to the water.
"Now, Pull!" The seaman called when they were in the water. Lowe watched for a few moments as the boat was rowed away from the dying Titanic.
Lowe rushed over to Lightoller who was busy loading boat 6. Rose, her mother, and Cal stood waiting for the boat. Lowe glared at Cal, why should he get off? It was just women and children. Of course, this boat was under Lightoller's command. Lowe was sure Cal couldn't get through here.
"Lightoller, have you seen Michaela?" Lowe asked. His voice becoming strained, from having to yell over the noise.
"No, sorry, sir!" Lightoller replied. He helped Molly Brown into the boat.
"Well, I have to go find her." Lowe said.
Lightoller turned to him.
"No, Harold we need you on deck." Lightoller said. "I'm sure that steward will bring her safely up here. Now get back to work."
Of course Lowe was a bit hurt that Lightoller wouldn't grant him permission to go after his own wife. But he knew he was right. There was a lot to be done.
"Any room for a gentleman, gentlemen?" Cal laughed nervously.
Rose stared at him in disbelief. As did Lowe. Lowe looked at Lightoller.
"Only women and children at this time, sir." He said.
Lowe smiled to himself. "Be a man, Hockley. There are plenty of men on this ship that are helping the women. Show some decency."
Cal glared at him for saying this to him. "What do you know about being a man? Taking a whore, dressed as a lady, as your wife. Then abandoning her. I don't see her on a lifeboat. Where are your priorities, man?" Cal asked rudely.
Lowe stepped up and punched Cal's right side of his face. Knocking him backwards a step.
"I just enjoyed that more than you can ever know." He turned to Officer Lightoller. "Sir, I believe, you're going to have to inform the master-at-arms. Since you just witnessed an officer hitting a passenger." Cal said smugly. The pain in his face was nothing to the glory he would feel, to see Officer Lowe locked up.
"Fine, sir. But I must warn you, there are six officers. This ship is sinking faster and faster. If Lowe is locked up, how will we get everyone safely off. How will you even have a chance?" Lightoller asked sarcastically.
Cal backed off knowing he was right. The ship needed it's officers more than he need his revenge. Or so he kept reassuring himself.
Lowe still stood by Lightoller. Thankful he had had the chance to get some anger out. But it wasn't enough. He continued to glare at Cal.
"Must the lifeboats be seated according to class?" Ruth asked. "I hope they aren't too crowded.
Lowe rolled his eyes, disgusted with the attitude of the first-class passengers.
"Shut up, Mother!" Rose snapped.
Everyone's attention went to Rose. "Don't you understand? The water is freezing and there aren't enough boats. Not enough by half. Half the people on this ship are going to die."
Finally someone made some sense. Lowe thought to himself. Though her words made him think of Zipper. The boats were being loaded quickly and she still hadn't been found. Unless of course she was loaded over on the port side. And he hadn't seen her. He reassured himself that that was the case.
Molly Brown helped Ruth into the lifeboat. Then they reached for Rose.
"Not the better half." Cal's words brought Lowe back to full attention.
He could see the anger rising in Rose. "You unimaginable bastard."
Finally someone says it. Lowe said to himself. Not knowing he had already been called that same name by Zipper.
Cal only smiled. Not caring about her words or insults. He laid her lifebelt into the boat.
"Come on Rose, you're next darlin'." Molly said.
Rose looked at her. Thinking of a plan to herself.
"Goodbye, mother." Rose said.
Lowe laughed out a bit, as Rose ran away from Cal, her mother. Her class. She ran back to the steerage man, named Jack. That he had seen at the sunset.
"Where are you going?" Cal demanded, ad he grabbed her arm. "What? To him? To be a whore to that gutter rat."
"I'd rather be his whore, than your wife." She said back.
He started to drag her back to the boat, when he felt a sharp pain in his arm. He spun around, seeing Rose jabbing a hairpin into his arm. He reflexively let go. She ran away towards the bow.
Lowe turned his attention from them to her mother, Ruth. She clenched her fingers around the ship's rail. Calling out to her daughter.
"Rose! Come back! Rose!" Ruth screamed as she disappeared below the ship, and was lowered with the other passengers safely to the water.
Officer Lowe actually felt bad for her. But was happy that Rose was going with her heart, and not with what was expected of her.
"Come on Lowe. Number 14" Lightoller instructed.
"Right, Sir." He followed behind him.
