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Heist on the Ice

By Kevin Barkman

By Kevin BarkmanPublished 2 years ago 16 min read
1
Heist on the Ice
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

The three watch from a makeshift raft as their two companions wave at them from the doomed vessel. They mourn for their comrades as they drift away from the wreckage.

But who are these people? Debutants enjoying life aboard a luxury cruise? Or was their purpose a more lucrative venture?

The boys—Henry, Allister, and Liam—began their lives as anything but socialites. The three came up together in the slums of Southampton. Their stories were much the same as another, one parent dead, the other absent in other ways, but the three always had each other. All three intelligent in their own right, even with a lack of schooling.

And they were ambitious.

So, naturally, when Victorine and Benjamin came into their lives offering the score and thrill of a lifetime, how could they refuse?

The boys had been hearing about the “Unsinkable Ship” for a couple years by the time Victorine approached them. And of course, it was Victorine to approach them. The boys would have been fools to trust any man in a nice suit coming into their neighborhood.

But Victorine was a beautiful young woman. Charming. Disarming. She knew exactly what to say to get these impressionable youths to do her bidding. She could have had them begging like puppy dogs for her favor if she so wished. But that was never her goal.

You see, Benjamin was Victorine’s father, and he taught her quite well the way of the grifter. The second she locked eyes with Allister in the street, she had him on her hook. She swooned, into his arms claiming she’d been robbed and needed the boys’ assistance to get to her home unbothered.

.

Naturally, the lady’s father had to offer such kind young men a reward for their heroism. Which they gladly accepted. But then, Benjamin offered them opportunity. He would provide for them, and in return, they would do one job for him. One job that would change their lives forever. Liam was the only skeptic, but the promise of riches overshadowed his reluctance.

At first, the tasks were simple enough. Knick this, “borrow” that— practice for the main event. But between the tasks, Benjamin had the boys taking lessons.

Benjamin recognized their potential, but he saw them as unrefined and undereducated. He taught them the ways of higher society—dining etiquette, proper dress, conversational topics. He taught them so many things, the boys began to wonder what it would all be for. Benjamin had been cagey about their end goal. All the boys could figure out was that it was a big heist for some things worth more money than any of the three had seen. And that was enough to keep them going.

Until the day finally arrived. Announcements went up all over the city. The long awaited R.M.S. Titanic was to set sail in just a few weeks’ time. The city of Southampton was awash with excitement and intrigue. One day, Benjamin walks in for one of the lessons holding up a flyer. The Titanic was in search of staff. They were looking for footmen and waiters to fill some recently vacant positions.

That’s when it occurred to them. This is what Benjamin has been after all along, and somehow, Benjamin had been able to secure their employment aboard the vessel.

From then on, the boys’ education shifted scope. Instead of etiquette, they studied plans for the monstrosity of a ship. They learned about their targets and the cargo holds. They learned all of the escape routes and hiding places. Most of all, they learned how to get away with it.

When the day finally came, the three boys reported for duty aboard the vessel. Wracked with nerves, Allister kept having to be reminded of their goals. If they could pull this off, none of them would want for anything for the rest of their lives.

A few short days later, passengers began boarding. Passengers including Benjamin and Victorine. When Allister saw her in her travel dress, he tripped and nearly fell into the harbor.

Once on board, that’s when the fun really began. During any break they got, the boys sneaked into places they weren’t supposed to be, “borrowing” valuable items from the rich and affluent while getting intimately familiar with the ship. Using his connections, Benjamin acquired a manifest of everything being kept down below in the passenger cargo holds. Now all that’s left to do is execute the plan.

What was their plan, you may wonder? Well, pretty simple actually. Under the cover of darkness, the night before they were to enter the harbor in New York City, Victorine accompanied by Allister and Liam were to sneak down into the cargo holds and liberate some of the more expensive, but portable items.

Meanwhile, Henry and Benjamin were to keep close eyes on the Masters at Arms. To be honest, to have only two law officers on such a large ship seemed silly to the boys. But who were they to question something in their favor?

From there, they were to meet up at Benjamin’s quarters to inventory the loot and pack it away into their luggage. Then, once they make port, the boys would slip ashore and meet the father-daughter duo to split their winnings.

“What do you think of all this?” Liam mused, taking a drag from his cigarette. “All this planning and training for what? A few necklaces?”

“Necklaces worth more than your life.” Henry jabbed back. “We pull this off, we’re as good as gold” He takes the cigarette from Liam, noticing Allister staring into space not for the first time. “Besides, gives Allister here a reason to get close to Miss Victorine.”

“Hey, Al!”

“Hmm?”

“You were doing it again, mate.”

“Doing what?”

“Pining.” Henry teased.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, mate. If I thought I’d have a shot with her, I’d be right there with you.”

“You think I have a shot?”

“Now I didn’t say that.”

“Leave him be, Henry. We gotta get back to work.”

“Yeah, right. Work. On the ship we’re about to rob blind.”

“Have to keep appearances.”

The boys went back to their duties. They didn’t see much of each other the next day, but as luck would have it, late that night, Allister ran into Victorine. She had been pacing the top deck for who knows how long. Allister was wrapping up his tasks for the evening, swabbing the last area before quitting time when he found her.

“Miss Victorine, I did not expect to see you this evening.” A chilled breeze washed over the ship, causing her to shiver. “You must be freezing out here. Please, take my coat.”

Allister dropped his mop, struggling clumsily to remove his overcoat. A gentle smile cracked Victorine’s gloomy façade. Her lilting laugh brought heat to Allister’s cheeks despite the cold. Allister felt the cold cut through his thin uniform as he held the coat out to her.

“Thank you.”

“Y…You’re most welcome.”

“Allister, we’ve known each other for months. There’s no need to be formal with me. Now while we’re alone.”

“Sorry, Miss… Victorine.” He caught himself staring into her brilliant blue eyes. Embarrassment washing over him, and he turned away from her, looking straight up at the sky. “Beautiful night out tonight, isn’t it?”

She blushes slightly at his gaze, but soon the gloom retakes her. “It’s lovely.”

“Is something wrong, Victorine?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You can tell me anything, you know.”

“Really, it’s nothing. I just have an unsettled feeling about this…”

“About this?” He panics, “I can leave. Leave you to your thoughts.”

Before he even got the words out, Victorine grabbed him by the arm, lacing her elbow into his. “No, you silly man. Not about this,” Nudging his ribs, “About this whole job. I just can’t shake the feeling that something bad might happen.”

“Honestly, I’ve had many of the same thoughts. But what could go wrong? When we have Henry and Liam, two of the smartest and deft urchins I ever met. And your father, of course, with the whole operation planned out.”

“I suppose you’re right. Besides, you’ll keep me out of trouble won’t you?”

Allister turns his face away hiding the redness rushing to his cheeks.

The two walked along the top deck for a while longer, staring up at the stars and listening to the waves break around the bow. Most of all, they just enjoyed each other’s company.

The next two days pass without incident, until in the dead of night, Henry shakes the other two boys awake from their berths.

“Come on,” he whispered, careful not to wake the other crewmen. “It’s time. Let’s go.”

“What are you talking about. It’s too early.” Liam groggily rolls away from Henry, pulling his blanket up to his shoulders.

“It’s happening tonight. I’ll explain on the way.”

Reluctantly, Allister and Liam crawl out of bed, quiet as they can. They sneak through the halls past the stacks of crew berths. They avoided the gazes of anyone who might still be awake at that hour and made their way to the designated rendezvous.

As they turn into the stairwell, “Look, Benjamin found me yesterday afternoon. He didn’t say why, but he wanted to get this done tonight. He’s already waiting for me up on deck. Victorine should be waiting for you two at their quarters.”

When they reached the level of the passenger quarters, Henry gave Liam and Allister a quick pat on the shoulder and a mischievous smile. The boys listened for a moment to Henry bounding up the stairwell. They passed each other a quizzical look before breaking into smiles themselves.

Excited for the adventure and thrill of the heist, Liam and Allister made their way through the passenger corridor. They knocked lightly on Victorine’s cabin. She swung the door open urging the boys inside. A mischievous smirk broke across Liam’s face as he realized her state of undress. Victorine was unbothered, but Allister turned the brightest shade of red one can imagine.

Victorine, seeing Allister’s reaction, smiled as she pulled her shirt on. She tucked her long hair into her hat and turned to the boys. “You two ready for this?”

“Um-Uh. Y-yeah.” Allister stammered.

Liam rolled his eyes, slugging Allister in the shoulder as he led them back into the hall.

Victorine pushed past the boys in the corridor, intentionally brushing Allister’s hand with her own. He instinctively reached out to clasp her hand, but she had moved just out of his reach.

Liam and Allister follow Victorine to the first of the cargo holds. They’re able to get in without much trouble. They route around for a while picking up anything that could be of value to them. They open some of the smaller crates revealing fine silk clothing. Others contained books or supplies. The only true valuables were far too large to take out of the hold. They left disappointed but determined to check the other holds.

Meanwhile, Henry and Benjamin sat up on deck watching the Masters at Arms go about their business. They had been tipped off rather cleverly that someone was lurking up on deck in the middle of the night with nefarious intent. Henry and Benjamin were careful to stay out of sight, keeping close enough to observe but far enough to not be noticeable as they continued their search, when…

“You there!” Shouted one of the guardsmen. “State your business!”

With horror, Henry realized they’d been spotted. “I—uh…Um—”

“Ah! Gentlemen.” Benjamin interjected. “Fine evening, isn’t it?”

“Indeed, sir, but we were just speaking with the lad.” The older guardsman stared daggers at Henry, “Boy shouldn’t be out of bed at this hour. Let alone on deck. It’s dangerous.”

“Ah, yes. I do believe that is my fault.” Not quite a lie. Until, “You see, I was feeling ill, this young lad helped me up the stairs to get some fresh air.”

“Still doesn’t explain why he’s out of bed.”

“Ah, I…I got nothing.”

Without further pretext, Benjamin sucker punched the first guard. The two broke out into a brawl, clambering in the faint light from the doorway. When the other guardsman noticed the altercation, he came running to his partner’s aid. Henry eagerly jumped into the fray, defending his friend. Fists flew, hair was pulled. Grunts of effort and pain echoed in the still night.

Down below, in the third cargo hold, Victorine’s team rustles through a seemingly endless stack of crates and barrels hoping to make the all their effort worth it. They were able to find some small trinkets in the mail parcels, but nothing too valuable. They searched, getting more desperate as their time grew short.

“Hey, check out this painting!” Allister called from across the room. The other two rushed over to see what he was fussing with.

When he saw the contents, Liam leered at the nearly naked woman on the canvas. “Hey, hey. Looks like you found a winner.”

“It’s beautiful,” Victorine comments. She didn’t look at the figure of the woman, but the detail of the world of the painting.

“Do you think it’s worth anything?”

“Probably.” She admits. “But how do we—”

Victorine was interrupted by a figure looming in the light of the doorway…Benjamin leaned against the wall, clearly injured from his fight. He supported Henry on one shoulder, nearly dragging the boy beside him.

“What happened!” Liam shouted, rushing over to aid his friend.

“Long story but we should lay low for a bit.”

“Were you followed?” Victorine demanded.

“No,” Benjamin groans as Liam and Allister shift Henry’s weight off the man. “We lost them a few decks back.”

“Where should we go? Where can we go? They know your faces now. You’ll never make it off the ship now. Not without being arrested.”

“One thing at a time, Dearest. For now, lets get back to our cabin. They won’t be searching there just yet.”

Victorine rolled her eyes at her father’s foolish attitude but slipped her arm around his waist to support him anyway. All but carrying their companions, the heist crew worked their way back to the guest cabin, avoiding the purview of the guards hunting them.

Crunch!

The sound reverberated through the entire hull of the ship, as they lurch forward. The heist crew froze in place. They looked at each other, each searching the others for ideas. Along the corridor, cabin doors slowly started opening. Sleepy passengers poured into the halls, rubbing their eyes and searching for the source.

“Wha’appened?”

“What was that racket?”

The questions kept flooding through the crowd. A realization began to creep it’s way into the heist crew.

“I—” Liam stutters. Then, loud enough for others to hear, “I think we should get up on deck. That sounded bad.”

“Kid’s right,” Echoed a nearby passenger.

“Nah. Everything’s fine. They’d tell us otherwise!”

While the other passengers murmured amongst themselves deciding what they should do, the crew began pushing through the mass of people heading toward the nearest stairwell. Henry started to regain mobility, but he was still out of it.

It takes entirely too long to get down the corridor, precious time being lost.

“Wait!” Benjamin shouted as they passed his cabin. “We can’t leave our…things. This can’t all be for nothing.”

Liam turned to him, confused. “You…Are you kidding? You think we have time for that?”

“No. I don’t think you do. Take Henry up on deck. Get him out of here, I’ll meet you by the lifeboats.”

“Father, please.” Victorine pleads. “It’s not worth your life.”

“My dear. Go with the boys. I’ll be fine. Besides, even if there is a problem, it’ll take time to…you know.”

“Do—”

“It’s fine, Victorine. Help Liam with Henry.” Allister interrupted with a smirk. “I’ll stay with him. It’ll go twice as fast, then we’ll catch you up.”

Victorine looked at him with horror but didn’t openly protest. She nodded her head and traded with Allister. She looked back for only a second as she and Liam hoisted Henry between them.

Benjamin fiddled with his cabin keys, his injuries still inhibiting him. Allister noticed a grim look about Benjamin but didn’t say anything. Irreplaceable minutes ticked by as the two digged through Benjamin’s trunks searching for the valuables they had filched from the more affluent passengers over the last few days. They stuffed as much as they could carry into the pockets of their coats, before heading back into the fray.

They pushed through the now panicked crowds, trying desperately to reach the upper deck.

Meanwhile, up on deck, “Where are they?” Victorine worried.

“They’ll be here. Just line up with me. Come on.”

The frightened masses slowly filtered onto the lifeboats, several of which had already launched. Eight. Nine. Only seven lifeboats remained.

“I’m going to wait. I can’t leave them.”

“Come on, miss. Do think either one of them would want you to risk it?”

“I don’t care. You go. Get Henry out of here.”

Liam started to take Henry toward one of the lines but turned back. “Damn it. Henry would kill me if I left Al.”

Together they waited. The minutes passed like hours until…Over the heads of the crowd, Liam spots Allister and Benjamin coming up from belowdecks. The two men rushed toward their companions. They help each other toward one of the last of the lifeboats.

“Hurry up on board!” Shouts the pilot. “Get the injured one!”

Benjamin helped Henry into the boat, before offering his hand to his daughter. Victorine hesitated, turning back to Allister who stopped in his tracks.

“I can’t go.” He looked into her eyes, sorrow pinching his brow. “There are too many people. I have to do something to help.”

Victorine stared at Allister, stunned. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held them back.

“Don’t be foolish!” Benjamin shouted. “Get in the—”

“Try to get out safe.” Victorine pulled Allister into a kiss. Passion and longing drip from their touch.

By his side, Liam realized Allister was right. “I’m staying too. Henry would have my head if I let you stay alone.”

Liam turned and headed back into the fray, finding one of the boat’s crew to figure out what they could do to help.

Allister and Victorine pressed their foreheads together for a long moment before, “LAST CALL!”

The two part, hands reaching for each other as she falls back into the boat.

Wham!

Allister falls forward into the lifeboat before he realized what happened. He’d been shoved, hard. He turned around only too late as the lifeboat began its decent into the icy waters below.

“Take care of each other!” Benjamin shouted from the deck. His words caught in his throat. “Be good to each other!”

Benjamin understood the reality of their situation. There was no way he and Liam were going to make it off the Titanic alive. The ship was sinking too fast. Liam came up beside Benjamin, shocked by the sight of his friends floating away.

As the ship lurches again as it snapped in half. Benjamin places his hand on Liam’s shoulder as the sounds of instruments echo across the deck. The two brace themselves for the inevitable.

Henry regains full consciousness as the lifeboat drifts away from the wreckage. Victorine and Allister enfold him, relieved that they got at least one of their friends back.

The three enfold each other as the last glimmer of the “Unsinkable Ship” dips below the waves.

Adventure
1

About the Creator

Kevin Barkman

Somehow, my most popular story is smut. I don't usually write smut. I did it once, and look what happened. Ugh.

Anyway, Hope you enjoy my work. I do pour my heart, soul, sweat and tears into it.

PS: Please read more than my smut story.I beg

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