Foxworth Academy (12 page)

“Mr. Hawk, please come to the front of the room.”

There were a few chuckles and murmurs throughout the room before Lance casually got out of his chair and went to the front of the room.  The boy furrowed his brow before asking, “What’s with the bingo machine?”

Mr. Martin smiled.  He rotated the hand crank, sending the little bundles of paper around and around in the metallic contraption. 

“Pick one,” he said to Lance after he stopped turning the crank.

“For what?” Lance responded.

“For your partner,” Mr. Martin replied.  “You think you can do better than Brett and Ally, don’t you?”

Lance didn’t respond and the smirk disappeared from his mouth.

“Pick one,” Martin repeated.

Lance slowly dug his hand into the basket and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to his teacher who unraveled it to reveal the girl’s name.

“Ella Brooks, please come to the front of the class.  You’ll be joining Lance for a trip on the Titanic.  Let’s go.”

Lance looked around the room in disbelief but soon turned joyous at the thought of beating Brett on their mission to save the Titanic.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

T
he sun was losing its steam as the orange ball of fire dipped low on the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean.  Brett and Ally stood on the deck, just below the bridge, taking in the sights and sounds around them.  Couples meandered about, walking hand and hand, incapable of knowing that the next few hours would change their destiny forever.  Some would be saved, but most would perish.

“Time is running out,” Brett said.

Ally brushed back her wind-blown hair, contemplating their predicament.  Brett leaned against the railing.  “Let’s keep an eye on the bridge.  We need to see who goes in and out.  Maybe there’s a way we can sneak in there and change course.”

“Brett, really?  We’re going to break into the bridge of the most famous ship in history, grab the wheel, and steer the ship away from the iceberg?”  She laughed, mocking him, and then continued in a stern, male voice, “‘What are you doing in here young man?’ and you’d say, ‘just driving your boat, captain.’”

Even Brett had to laugh.  “That would be quite a scene,” he said.  He stared out into the vast emptiness of the surrounding water.  “Hey, if we can’t get into the place where they steer the ship, what about getting into the place that powers the ship?”

“You mean the engine room?”

“Yeah.”

“We were in there before, what else do you want to see?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I want to go back in there.”

“How?

Brett looked her in the eye and said, “You’re going to steal the keys from that jerk that took us there.”

Ally squinted at Brett and cocked her head before saying, “I am, am I?”

“Yep.  Just turn on that charm of yours,” he replied.  He grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s go,” while leading her away back up to the bridge. 

They passed numerous couples in formal wear, all heading to the main dining hall where most of them would eat their last meal.

As Brett and Ally made their way up the stairs and neared the bridge, they almost had a heart attack as they stared at the two people standing on the top of landing.  A boy and a girl, both were folding their arms across their chests, smiling, or rather, smirking.

“Surprised to see us?” Lance said.

“Lance,” Brett muttered.

“That’s right, tough guy.  How’s your head?  Still hurting from baseball?” he laughed.

“What was the score again?” Brett asked sarcastically.

He couldn’t believe it.  The jerk from history class somehow made it back in time.  Standing next to him was another girl from their class, Ella.  She was short and a little chubby, but had a cute face that was partially hidden by her blond bangs.  Both were dressed in similar clothing as Brett and Ally, and wearing the infamous hats with the cameras.

“What in the world are you doing here?” Brett asked.

“Are you here to help us?” Ally asked.

“Nope, just the opposite.”

“What?!” Brett exclaimed.

“That’s right, buddy,” Lance said.  “We’re also here to save the Titanic.”

“Why would Mr. Martin send you back here?  Does he think we’re not doing a good job?”

“Probably,” Lance said.

“No,” Ella said, telling the truth.  “Mr. Martin heard Lance say he could do a better job so he sent him back here to see if he really could.  I just got picked at random.”

Brett took the last step up to the landing.  He walked around Lance and said, “Let’s go Ally.”

Ally followed in behind him.  Lance and Ella did the same.

“Where are we going, buddy?” Lance asked.

Ally spoke up first.  “To the—”

“Nowhere.”  Brett increased his pace.  “Can’t tell him anything.  We gotta lose them,” he whispered.

“How?” Ally asked.

“Even though they’ve been watching us on TV, we know this ship better than them.  We’re gonna split up and meet at the bridge, okay?”

Ally nodded.  “Okay.”

“Let’s take these stairs down.  You stop at the second class floor and loop around and make it back to the bridge.  I’ll take the third class floor and do the same.”  They started down the steps with Lance and Ella ten feet behind them.  “Ready?”

“Yep,” she replied.

When they reached the next level, Brett lightly pushed her into the hallway as he darted down the steps without saying a word. 

“Crap!  Go!  Follow her,” Lance said to Ella who was trailing behind him.  He quickly ran down the steps, his hand grasping the wall to keep his balance.  As he made his way to the next floor, he heard footsteps in the hallway.  He peeked out and saw Brett jogging down the middle, flanked by doors on either side.

Brett made his way to the next set of stairs and went further down the caldron of the great ship.  He peeked behind him, saw no one, and pressed forward.  As he neared the next set of steps, he turned once again.  Lance also made the turn and headed toward him.  Brett changed course, climbing two floors.  At the same time, Ally was running on the same floor, distancing herself from the out-of-shape Ella.  She rounded a set of stairs just as an empty elevator door was about to close.  She quickly jumped inside, pressed various buttons, and the elevator ascended, leaving a frustrated Ella behind. 

Ally made it to the top floor and stepped out onto the deck.  She rounded the corner and headed toward the bridge, all the while wondering whether Brett had escaped from Lance.  In less than a minute she was standing outside the bridge, breathless, when the door itself opened and there stood their favorite officer, Thomas, with another young man dressed in blue.

They smiled and Thomas said, “Well, well, back again, aren’t we?”

Ally struggled to catch her breath, her hand clutching the wall to keep her steady.

“This her?” the other man snickered.

“Didn’t I tell you she was a looker?” Thomas said, rubbing his hands together.  The sun had set and night was fast approaching, and with it, cooler temperatures. Ally knew she needed to hurry. 

Ally looked up at him, appalled that Thomas had been talking about her.  But then her gaze shifted to the creases in his uniform and then to the keychain attached to the snug belt he wore around his waist.  It was a glorious sight.  She quickly shifted her eyes back to his and said, “Lovely night, isn’t it?”  He said something in reply, but she wasn’t listening; her eyes were back on the belt.  The keys were attached to a simple metal clasp, one that could be easily removed.

“Well?” Thomas whispered.

“Huh?  What?” Ally replied.

“Care to join us for a nip?” he whispered again.

“A nip?” Ally asked.

“Yeah, a nip for bloody hell.  Follow us.”

As Thomas walked past her, instinct took over.  Ally reached for the set of keys, but missed, the keys jangling past her outstretched arm.  She searched for Brett, but he was nowhere to found. 

B
rett ran the length of the ship twice in order to lose Lance, and eventually, he did.  He hadn’t seen him in almost ten minutes so he cautiously made his way to the bridge and waited for Ally.  He worried about her safety and whether or not she’d be able to secure the officer’s keys.  After ten minutes, he grew impatient and started to wander around the ship looking for her.  He took brief excursions, always returning to the bridge after a minute or two.  He strayed in one direction and found a door stating: Officers Quarters.  He approached, listening for any movement or sound coming from behind the door. 

Just as he was about to put his hand on the handle, the door swung outward.  Brett flattened his body against the wall and closed his eyes, hoping he hadn’t been discovered.  He heard footsteps moving away from him, opened his eyes, and glanced around the door.  A man was walking away.  Just as the door was about to close completely, Brett reached with his hand and held it open, quickly slipping inside.

The room was empty, with only the soft glow of a light coming from one of the desk lamps toward the rear of the room.  Brett tiptoed around and saw various cots, desks, sinks, and washrooms placed perfectly throughout the room.  Without even knowing what he was looking for, he started rummaging through drawers, lockers, and closets.  At the third door, he hit pay dirt.  It was a small closet with numerous uniforms on hangers.  Without hesitation he grabbed the nearest one and headed toward the exit. 

He listened, heard nothing, and exited the Officers Quarters without being seen.  But now, what to do with the uniform?  He couldn’t bring it back to present day or could he?  He didn’t want to risk the chance and decided he needed to hide it on the ship.  Brett rolled the uniform into a tight cylinder and made his way back out onto the deck.  Lined up all along the edge of the ship were several lifeboats.  He walked over to the first one in the row, lifted the canvass cover, and tossed the uniform inside.  Finished and proud of his work, he walked back toward the bridge to find Ally.

U
nsure of where she was going, Ally followed Thomas and a man named Will down a flight of stairs and into the bowels of the Titanic.  Floor after floor, they descended until finally the man in front opened a door and stepped into an open room where two other officers were standing.  Ally thought the room looked like her grade school gym with its wooden floors and red painted lines.

“Who’s this?” a man in the room demanded.

“She’s with me,” Thomas said.

The room was only half lit, casting eerie shadows on the walls surrounding them.

“Where are we?” Ally asked.

“This is the squash court,” Thomas said.

“Squash?  What’s that?”

The men chuckled and one of them said, “Where you from, babe?”

“Babe?” Ally asked.  “Not from around here.”

The men laughed, and one of them replied, “Squash is tennis in a room is all.” 

Ally remembered her dad had played racquetball a few years earlier at a place that also had squash courts.  She watched as Thomas was passed a small metal flask by the other man who unscrewed the cap and took a small drink.  He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and passed it over to her.

“Have a nip, will ya?” he said.

Ally scrunched up her nose and shook her head. 

“Its berry flavored.  Won’t kill ya, hun.”

She took the small bottle from him and sniffed its contents.  It didn’t smell terribly bad.  She tilted the flask to her lips, allowing a miniscule amount of liquid to hit her tongue, and then she quickly handed the bottle back to him.  She felt like spitting it out as the liquid burn hit her throat.  Ally shook her head violently and the men around her laughed.

“Not bad, eh?” Thomas asked, taking another swig and passing the bottle to the man next to him.

Ally had to make her move on the keys now if she was ever going to get her chance. 
But how?
  The men passed the bottle around, chatting and telling stories about how they had upset some of the passengers with their behavior and how much they hated to be at everyone’s beck and call. 

The door opened and an older man walked in. “What is this?” the man demanded.

The men in the squash court stared, saying nothing, and Ally could tell they were in trouble.

“Get back to your positions this instant!” the man said.  “You have one minute to return before the captain will throw you in the Brig!”

The men quickly shuffled toward the door and Ally made her move.  She moved in close, and while the men were bumping into each other as they made their exit, she quickly unhooked the keychain from Thomas’s belt and snatched the keys from his possession.

“And you,” the man said looking at Ally.  “You’ll keep your mouth shut and go back to your cabin.”

She nodded her head and slipped the keys inside the pocket of her ridiculous dress.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“
W
here’d you go?” Brett asked Ally as they made their way out of the classroom.  They quickly learned from the class about Lance and Ella’s mission to save the Titanic.  No one was going to fail the class if the other couple saved the ship first, but obviously grades were going to be determined on who saved the ship.

“Me?  Where’d
you
go?” Ally replied.

“I waited at the bridge for you for ages.”

“I got stuck with that jerk from the bridge in some squash room with his buddies.”

“Did you get the key?” Brett asked anxiously.

She smiled and replied, “No, ‘
are you okay, Ally
?’  Yes, I got the keys.  All of them in fact since we have no idea which one will open the engine room.”

“Awesome,” Brett said.  “I got something too.  An officer’s uniform.”

“What?  No way,” she said.

“Yep, I hid it in a lifeboat.”

“Nice,” she said.

As they walked down the hallway, Brett spotted Krista.  He bent down to tie his shoe, hoping to avoid the whole situation.  After a few seconds he took a peak up and spotted Krista standing in front of him, right next to Ally.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey, how’s it going?” Krista replied, stealing glances at Ally.