FicWad

Lady Alverton sat alone in her suite. The words her husband had spoken to her were rolling over and over in her mind. How could she accept that he was right? That boy was her only chance to be with her beloved husband again and she had been denied that one precious pleasure. All the advantages of wealth couldn’t replace him and she would have happily traded it all for more time with her husband. Of course, that wasn’t an option. The only option available had been refused her, and, most devastating of all, refused by her husband. At first she worried that after all this time he had stopped loving her. She simply couldn’t cope with the thought and had lashed out at the only person she could blame. When the ship’s Third Officer, Pitman had arrived at her suite, she was bitterly angry and had named Mikey as her husband’s killer knowing that even as she said the words that she was lying. Reflecting on it now, she realised that she had condemned him to death; locked in a cell as the ship sank. Who would risk their lives to save a murderer? Of course, she knew he wasn’t, but she also knew that the prejudices of the age would damn him in the minds of those in authority, without trial or evidence. Why? Because he was a stowaway and she was a Lady of means. It wasn’t fair. He seemed a pleasant young man, not even a thief, let alone a murderer.

Her husband was right. She knew it. And she knew he loved her; she only had to look into his eyes to see that. And that last kiss had been beautiful and still tingled on her lips. But he wouldn’t stay – for her sake. Now, she knew what he meant, but she hated it. It wasn’t her spirit or her needs or even her conscience that he was concerned about, but her soul. She hadn’t been with him in the afterlife and that had tortured her more than not being with him in life. It was as if she simply couldn’t find him. Perhaps it was punishment for killing herself, she couldn’t know for sure, but whatever the reason, if she did nothing else, perhaps this time she would be able to make that right? If she couldn’t have him in this life, maybe there was a chance for them to be together in the afterlife? Glancing at the clock on the mantel she knew she didn’t have long.

*

Despite appearances, Mikey knew how to handle himself in a fight. He’d grown up in Jersey; in some parts, if you didn’t grow up learning how to fight, you didn’t grow up. Trying not to show his apprehension, Mikey planted his feet firmly and set his balance. He’d never taken on four before, well, at least not alone. But now he was fighting for his life. If that wasn’t an incentive, nothing would be.
Mikey waited for one of them to make the first move, but the four of them had spread out in a semi-circle around him and constantly glancing from one to the other was almost making him dizzy.

“Come on!” One of them taunted. “You think you’re tough, taking down an officer when his back’s turned? Try us!”
“Four on one?” Mikey retorted with a forced but, he hoped, convincing laugh. “You think that’s brave?”
“Okay,” still fancying his chances, the one who had spoken nodded and gestured to Mikey to come at him. “Just you an me, then?”
The three other men, stood back, but remained close enough to be intimidating. Mikey was left with the strong impression that should he overpower his opponent, the others would be quick to step in. It was still very much an unfair fight, but there were no other options – this was the best he could hope for under the circumstances. The man in front of him did nothing but goad him, trying to force him to make the first move. Mikey wasn’t sure why, but time was running out and he had to escape. With a sudden burst of energy, Mikey lowered his shoulder and slammed into the man standing opposite him. Clipping his left arm and shoulder, it was enough to catch him off-balance and spin him out of his way. Far from wanting a fight, the young bassist just wanted to get out of the cell. Almost at the door, Mikey was tackled from the side by one of the other men. Lending all his weight to the tackle, the man allowed himself to simply fall with his arms wrapped around his target. As a result, Mikey was simultaneously pushed and pulled to the floor and, with his arms pinned, he landed awkwardly, unable to break his fall.
“You coward!” One of them shouted. “Running away!”
“I don’t need a fight, I need to get out!” Mikey yelled in return as he struggled against the two men now holding him down.
“Well, none of us gets what we want, do we?” The crewman Mikey had shoved aside replied sourly.
“I’m not the coward!” he yelled as he continued to writhe in their grip. “It’s still four of you on one.”
“Well, let’s lessen the odds,” the crewman replied cracking his knuckles on his right hand.
With a simple jerk of his head, the crewman signalled to the others. Mikey was pulled to his knees, with one of the crewmen stuffing a rag into his mouth as a crude gag. While one of the crewmen stood at the door and kept watch, the first man stepped forward, grinning sadistically, as both of the remaining men each held one of Mikey’s arms behind his back and pushed a foot firmly down on his ankles. Mikey was held firm, unable to fight back or even shout for help as punch after punch was rained down on him.
“There,” the crewman pulled the rag from Mikey’s mouth as he slumped in their grip, poised on the brink of unconsciousness. “Now it’s four on none.”
As the men released his arms, Mikey slipped to the floor, barely aware as the four men left, locking the cell door behind them. It was nine fifty five; less than two hours remained.

*

“Yes,” Frank sighed with exasperation, “I do know what time it is, but this is an emergency.”
“The house? What’s happened?” the curator sat up in bed imagining the whole building on fire.
“No, no, the house is fine,” Frank assured him, believing this would make him more accessible, but it only served to irritate him more.
“Then what is it?” he snapped.
“One of our friends is missing.”
“What do you mean missing? Are you sure he’s not just hiding? It is Halloween, he’s probably playing a trick on you.”
“No, we’ve seen ghosts, Lord and Lady Alverton, she took him and… hello? Hello?” Frank waved the handset at the others. “I told you they wouldn’t believe me.”
“Give me the phone,” Gerard growled, snatching it away from Frank, who was more than happy to let him try.
Pressing the redial button, Gerard waited for a reply, only to receive the same angry voice that Frank had dealt with. But, he decided, Frank had been too polite.
“Don’t hang up on me!” Gerard ordered as an opening greeting. “We’re not playing a prank, this is real! My brother is missing, this house has something to do with it and we think you know what, so I suggest you get your ass down here right now and help us get him back!”
Gerard rested the handset back down on the cradle.
“Is he coming?” Frank asked hopefully.
Gerard sighed. “He hung up.”
“Then we’re on our own with this?”
“No,” Gerard sat down and put his feet up. “I’m going to give him five minutes to get comfy, then I’m calling again, and again until he comes here.”
“He’s more likely to just have us arrested,” Bob interjected.
Gerard shrugged as he checked his watch.
“Frank,” Ray began, “check the site, see if there’s anyone else we can call.”
“Ghostbusters?”
“No, that’s not what I mean!” Ray replied with a genuine smile hiding behind the scolding. “Related links, interested groups, ghost hunters or Titanic Societies, anything, someone that may be able to help.”
Frank nodded and opened up the site once more. As the page refreshed, a single comment in one of the paragraphs caught his eye.
“Oh no!” he cried. “I think this is worse than before!”
“What?” Gerard asked nervously, sitting forward in the chair.
Frank turned and pointed vaguely behind him at the screen.
“Now it’s saying they both died, drowned. Both of them.”
“No!” Gerard cried, his eyes widening as he leapt up and read the words for himself. Turning back to face Frank, Gerard’s brow furrowed and, gripping his friend’s arms, his earlier bravado gone.
“Frank… I… I don’t know what to do. We have to get him back, we have to change what it says!”
Frank nodded, equally bewildered, equally helpless.