Our Unsinkable Love

11

Sam and Gabe quickly find a familiar face. It was Mr Harvelle, his daughter Jo was resting on his hips.

"Bill! What's going on here?" Gabriel steps forward, waving a hand at the closed gate. 

Bill looked paler than Sam remembered him being last time they had met. "They wont let us through until the first class passengers have boarded the lifeboats."

Sam felt a flash of anger. "They what??"

Bill shrugs. "That's what the man up there said." He sounded bitter, bouncing a scared looking Jo up and down a few times. He looked down at her and then back to them. Then, lowering his voice, "look boys, I'll be honest with you, I don't care about myself so much, but I can't let my little Jo die on this tin can."

Sam looked up at the officer, eyes narrowed. "They can't do that, its inhumane!"

Gabriel nods in agreement, his hand tightening around Sam's. "We have to get up to those lifeboats."

The ship lurches. The lights flickering for just a moment before returning to normal. Sam glances back towards the stairs they had come up. It wouldn't be long before the water reached them.

Sure enough, the water had already reached the top of the stairs, spilling out onto the floor of the corridor. 

"Sam," Gabriel, seeing this, had stepped closer to him.

"Excuse me!" Sam stepped towards the officer. "Why have you shut these people down here?"

"Just acting on orders, sir." The officer stepped towards the gates, "now why don't you just wait patiently and soon enough you'll be allowed through."

Sam huffs at this, they would drown before being let through at this rate. "Are you kidding me!? There are women and children down here that need to get on those lifeboats!"

By now, the water had reached ankle height, and was rising steadily. 

"Sir, I don't want to have to tell you again, step. Back."

Sam narrows his eyes, ignoring the pounding of his heart as he does just the opposite and steps forward. "No."

The officer stands right next to the gate now. "I'm telling ya, back off before I lock you up!"

Sam reacts fast, reaching out and grabbing the officer. He pulls the officer against the bars, holding him there even as he squirmed. "And I said, no. Let these people through first."

The officer was gasping for breath, and while Sam had him pinned to the gate, Gabriel was able to slip his keys off his belt. Sam kept a hold of the guy while Gabe opened the gates. Then chaos ensured. 

People were pushing and shoving to get past, to escape the rising water. Sam and Gabriel go to grab Balthazar, when a pair of arms wrap around Sam's neck. The taller man, thrown off guard, falls to his knees and struggles to breath. 

"You're in a lot trouble."

"Sam!" Gabriel had glanced back when he realized that Sam wasn't there to help with Balthazar. 

"Get off him!" It was Bill, his arms wrapped around Jo. 

Sam clawed at the surprisingly strong arms, almost able o pry them off. Then there was a metallic click and everyone froze.

"Now now, none of this nonsense." It was another officer, his strangely yellow eyes glinting dangerously. "I'm sure we can work this all out."

Sam swallows thickly. All he can see is the gun barrel being held against a pale Gabriel's head.