Chapter 12: Trapped
"We'll split up!" Jack says. "You guys go and check down the grand stairs and by the gym. I'll head for the bow."
The three hovers in the doorway of the cabin, discussing their routes.
Rose notices that the safe on the mantle is ajar. There seems to be something sticking out of it.
Scratched on another piece of paper, next to Jack's drawing are the words.
Only you would have noticed this.
We must discuss what is going to happen. To find the child, meet me near the stern.
-C
Rose knows where to go and that she had to handle it herself, for the sake of Jack, Emma, Peter, and Sybil. She rushes past her friends, leaving them looking on in confusion.
Rose takes the nearest corridor out onto the deck and began to race towards the stern. She knows that Sybil's life could be in danger if she didn't get there fast enough. She shivers slightly, remembering that she'd left her coat in her room. Cold didn't matter at the moment, Sybil is her priority.
She runs the route she had taken to commit suicide, the night Jack saved her. She could feel the tears in her eyes as she runs up the staircase leading to the rail. Once on the top step, she scans in the darkness of the night desperately looking for Sybil or her abductor.
Rose spots a small bundle of blankets lying on the deck and she races over, as fast as her heels could carry her. She reaches down and scoops up Sybil.
"Oh, thank God!" she breathes in relief. She begins expertly cradling the still sleeping infant and fussing over her like she was a mother. Rose checks to make sure the little one is still breathing and warm enough. Sybil's eyes open briefly, and Rose swears she could see the recognition in the child's eyes. She smiles at the child, hoping one day, she and Jack would have children just as beautiful as Sybil.
"I knew you would show up," a cold and dark voice says behind her.
Rose turns, clutching Sybil to her chest. Just in the distance is Cal in his evening-wear walking out from the shadows behind the staircase, the same place that Jack had appeared from the other night.
"You left some pretty obvious clues," Rose says just as coldly.
"Only you could have noticed the safe open," Cal says with a slight grin.
Rose takes a step back again, trying to shield Sybil and keep her warm. She re-evaluates the situation and notices that Cal has his silver revolver pointed at her. She swallows hard but tries to remain strong for the sake of the baby.
"But what to do now?" Cal says with a slight chuckle. "Go running back to your gutter rat?"
"Or towards the lifeboats." The knowledge had been lost on her in the flurry of finding Sybil, but now she remembers that the ship is sinking. "Because this ship doesn't have much longer."
"So, I've heard," Cal grins. "Too bad you or he won't make it that far."
"If you're going to kill me, answer me this question," she says as boldly as she can. "Why Sybil? Why would you kidnap an innocent child?"
"You seem to have misunderstood my intentions," Cal says, shaking his head. "I'm not going to kill you…far from it. You are still my fiancée."
"Ex- fiancée" Rose corrects. "I'm done with you and anything involved with this society, I'm free now."
"Are you?" Cal asks.
"Yes."
"ARE YOU?!" he bellows even harder. "Because at this moment, you are more trapped than a rat."
"What are you talking about?" Rose asks, clutching Sybil even tighter than before.
"The child…" he points at Sybil with his gun. "Was simply the bait. I knew that I couldn't break you two apart as easily as I thought, so I decided to go a different route."
He cocks the pistol and takes another few steps towards Rose. She backs up as far as she can go until she hits the back railing. She stares over the side, going back to the horrific moment when she wanted to jump from the ship. She can see the ice-cold water below, except it isn't churning because the propellers have stopped after the ship scraped the iceberg. She knew there is no escape from Cal and the option to jump with Sybil only crosses her mind once.
Cal grabs her wrist firmly. Rose groans in pain and has no choice but to oblige with the sleeping infant in her arms. He puts his arm around her waist and pulls her towards him. Rose feels something sharp press against her stomach. She can feel his hot breath on her neck. She doesn't know if it is the pistol or some other weapon that Cal has obtained. He presses it against her stomach, forcing her to remain in place.
"You were a fool to think you could escape me, Rose. I always win."
When Cal says this, Emma and Peter come up the stairs. Rose realizes that they had followed her and ran here to help.
"Sybil!" Emma says, trying to reach her sister. The relief on her face is a small comfort for the red-head.
"Emma don't…" Rose is cut off by Cal cocking the gun and pointing it at Emma. She immediately steps back in horror. Peter clutches Emma's arm and stands in front of her to protect his new bride.
"Stay back and you won't get hurt!" Cal hisses.
"What the hell is this?" Peter yells angrily. "What the hell are you doing?! Rose what's going on?!"
Emma chimes right in. "You kidnap my baby sister and now you hold us at gunpoint!"
Rose can feel the tears falling down her cheeks. She is just as scared and all she can do is watch as Cal continues to point the gun at them.
"THIS…" Cal snarls. "Is what happens when you cross Caledon Hockley!"
"What did we do to you?" Emma screeches. "All I want is my sister back!"
"You brainwashed my fiancée and assisted in her so-called escape from me."
"We helped her see the light!" Emma yells back. "We helped her find true love, not…whatever you thought you had with her. It's obvious you two don't love each other and it's clear you are a dangerous person! We were protecting her from you…"
Rose looks helplessly at Emma and shaking her head, silently begging her to stop the empowering speech, not to make it worse. Emma is now crying too, she keeps staring at Sybil, who is still cradled in Rose's arms. Peter continues to stand in front of Emma to protect her.
"We don't want anything from you! This is between you and Rose" Peter says in a calmer voice. "All we want is Sybil…"
"Peter what about Rose?" Emma says turning him to her. "We can't leave her with him."
Rose feels slight comfort knowing that Emma is thinking of her as well as Sybil. To Emma, Rose is like a sister and she needs protection too. Protection from a harmful and potentially deadly relationship with this dangerous man. But Rose knew that Sybil's safety is more important than hers at the moment. She still could not figure out Cal's plan. He is holding Emma and Peter at gunpoint and her a knife point, what could he stand to gain from…?
"Rose?" a voice rings out.
Rose's heart stops and drops to her stomach. She shuts her eyes tightly and prays that Jack won't come up here.
Please don't Jack… He's going to…
Jack's face appears as he comes up the steps, followed closely by Lovejoy. Clearly, he had also followed the red-head to find out where she had gone.
Jack's face goes to utter horror when he sees the scene in front of him. Sybil in Rose's arms, Rose in Cal's arms and Cal holding Emma and Peter at an armed gunpoint.
"What the hell is?"
"Jack…" Emma says, coming to Rose's realization. "Run please."
"What is…?"
"Finally found your way here eh gutter rat?" Cal smirks. Rose could feel the blade becoming tighter around her waist. "Took you long enough Lovejoy."
"Your butler was some help to me." Jack snarls. "But it's clear that you run a tight ship and he needs to shape up or get shot.
"How dare you speak to me like that!" Cal barks. "I am your superior!"
"Right now, you're way lower than the criminally insane." Jack retorts.
"We'll see who the criminal is Dawson," Cal smirks. He suddenly pushes the barrel of the gun up against Rose's neck.
Rose can feel the cold metal burrowing itself into her flesh. She has never felt so helpless, she is in the arms of a madman.
"You wouldn't..." Jack says confidently. "She means too much to you."
"There are three bullets left in this gun, Dawson." Cal moves the gun from Rose's neck and points it at Sybil's bonnet. Jack, Emma, and Peter's eyes go wide.
"One," he indicates the infant.
He points at Peter's chest, "Two"
He then re-directs the gun around Peter to Emma, "Three."
"You wouldn't dare…" Jack gasps, trying to act brave.
"I always get what I want," Cal smiles. "One way or another! And nobody stands in my way"
Emma looks at Rose with desperate eyes, begging her to please do something. Rose just shuts her eyes and tries to keep herself from collapsing. She had stepped right into Cal's trap and now Emma, Peter, and Sybil are going to pay for her mistakes.
"Cal please!" Rose squeaks out. "This is between you and me! Let them go and I'll…"
She looks at Jack with sad eyes and tells him through her eyes that she had no choice. Jack sees this and shakes his head.
"No Rose you can't!" he begs.
"I'm sorry Jack," she whispers helplessly. She turns back to Cal.
"I'll marry you and I'll never have contact with any of them ever again."
"I wish I could believe you Rose, but unfortunately, that ship sunk a long time ago."
With that, Cal pulls the trigger and the gun goes off.