An Unsinkable Love(26)
The other women murmured in agreement, calling out to the men to take them back to help.
"Shut up, I said! If you don't shut up right now you'll find yourself in the water with 'em." The tiller man's dark eyes dared the women, especially Bree, to say another word.
"I'll not sit here and let those people die, you cowards!"
Bree cried, furious at their callous behavior.
The older man jerked his chin in her direction. The other crewman dropped the oars and stood, knocking women to the floor in his haste to reach the bow. Before Bree uttered another word, he picked her up and flung her into the water.
The shock was like nothing she'd ever felt—her head exploded in agony. The fur coat pulled her under like a lead weight, its bulk tangling around her legs. Bree swallowed a mouthful of briny water as she tried to kick for the boat, and gagged. The cork-and-canvas life vest tied over the coat bunched under her chin. She fumbled ineffectually at the string ties with numb fingers. Her breath was being crushed from her lungs. She splashed feebly but it was too late. The glacial water closed over her head and, as she slipped beneath the surface, her last vision was the twinkling lights of the doomed ocean liner.
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89
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Chapter 10
As far as Malcolm could see, people crammed the deck.
Fights were breaking out near the few remaining lifeboats as men tried to get aboard, only to be fought back by crew. A shot rang out from farther down the ship. Women screamed and passengers dropped to the deck or ducked. Malcolm felt the boy beside him quiver with fear.
"Do you see any of your family?" he asked.
The boy stood on tiptoe and looked around. "No sir."
Malcolm led him over to a metal staircase climbing to the roof of the bridge and urged him up a few steps. "Try again."
The boy stared out over the sea of heads. He raised his arm and pointed at a nearly full lifeboat. "There! My mam and Lucy. In the boat!"
Malcolm hustled him down to the deck and shoved his way toward the lifeboat. Rough hands tried to grab him and curses rang through the air. He felt a blow to his back that almost brought him to his knees, but he caught his balance and struggled forward. They burst through the crowd and were brought up short by a row of white-clad crewmen.
"Here, now, whot'cha think you're doin'?" one asked.
"The boy—his mother and sister are on that boat." He pointed to the woman who stood and screamed, "Oliver!"
Others in the boat tried to push her back to her seat as the boat swung wildly.
"Oi, Jack, help the bloke in." Another crewman stepped forward and started to hand Oliver into the boat.
90
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
Malcolm felt a surge behind him. He half turned and saw a gang of men make a rush for the boat. Not only did they outnumber the crew but they were armed with broken pieces of furniture they wielded like clubs. Quickly sizing up the situation, Malcolm waded in and downed an attacker with a strong right hook, relieving him of his club. He swung the ornate chair leg fiercely, felling aggressors indiscriminately.
The crewmen followed his lead. The mob's enthusiasm faded in the face of a determined counterattack and they backed off. The bloodied crewmen closed ranks and, duty-bound, steadfastly continued to load the boat. As it lowered, a man broke from the crowd and ran to the rail. He leaped, landing on top of several women. There was a sickening thunk as his head struck the far side, and Malcolm knew from the angle of his neck he was dead. As soon as the boat hit the water, the two crewmen sorted him out from the frightened but uninjured women and pitched his body overboard.
With the boat gone, the crowd moved forward down the deck, searching for the next boat with room for more passengers. Malcolm stood at the now empty rail and gazed down. The smell of salt drifted in the air, mingling with oil and sweat and blood. The moon reflected off the stygian water, broken by several bobbing boats and, in the distance, glittering black mountains of ice. He frowned as he realized several vessels held far less than their capacity, and one contained only a dozen crewmen, a male passenger and a heavy-set woman. As he observed the listing deck, he saw people jump from the rails en masse, like lemmings. They tumbled on top of each other, hitting the water from great 91
An Unsinkable Love
by Terri Benson
distances. He flinched at the loud splats as they struck. Most floated back to the surface face down. The few who survived attempted to swim for the boats, but either the boats moved away or the swimmers became too exhausted in the frigid water and slipped down into the black void.