CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY SIX – UNEASY SEAS

As people began to comply, moving into rough groups, Nia's mind raced. She spotted a crew member looking overwhelmed and waved him over. "Where are the life jacket storage areas?" she asked urgently. The crew member, a young man barely out of his teens, pointed shakily. "There's a storage locker at the end of each corridor, and more on the upper deck by the lifeboats." Nia nodded, formulating a plan. She turned back to the groups, which had now formed more or less as she'd directed. "Okay, listen up! We're going to proceed to the life jacket storage areas in an orderly fashion. Each group will be led by a volunteer. Once everyone has a life jacket, we'll make our way to the lifeboats." She quickly designated leaders for each group, choosing those who seemed the calmest. As she organized the evacuation, she was vaguely aware of smoke beginning to seep into the lounge, adding to the urgency of the situation. "Remember," she called out as the first group began to move, "stay togethe