The last thing Jack saw before the hoods were replaced over their heads was Kate's eyes and the fear and terror that filled them.
They were now being walked back down the dock. Kate fell hard onto her knees and was helped up by the young girl holding her tied hands. Suddenly she felt hands on her waist, lifting her up. When her feet were set down, she knew she was standing on a very unsteady boat.
Someone shoved her down beside Jack. Jack's hands were aching and his mouth dry and horrible tasting from the dirty gag in it. In his mind, he knew this was his fault. He'd promised them he had a plan, and now they could possibly die for his foolishness. His arm touched Kate's and he knew she was there, thankful to know they weren't separated just yet.
They heard the roar of an engine and the boat came to life. Sawyer knew they were staying near the island because the waves were harsh, as they got near the shoreline. He felt slightly seasick as they went along and knew that vomiting into his hood would not be the best thing to do right now.
It seemed forever as the harsh wind blew, sending sprays of salt water over the edges of the boats as the three of them sat in complete darkness, not being able to communicate with each other. They sat side by side against the side of the boat, their arms touching yet had now way of talking, or saying anything. Jack wondered how many people were on board, and wondered how many people were at the place they were going.
The doctor was wrong, thought Sawyer angrily. He was furious at the cocky doctor but also terrified. These people had killed many survivors, and he knew they weren't merciful when it came to taking hostages. He knew of all the people taken from the tail section of the plane, and suddenly realized there weren't many left. Libby and Ana had been two of the few. Perhaps they would all be wiped out.
The boat seemed to slow and the three of them were thankful. Jack felt almost nauseated from the gag in his mouth and Kate had begun to shiver, freezing from the sprays of water that had soaked her shirt.
Someone harshly grabbed Kate's arm and yanked her up. It definitely wasn't the young girl who had helped her up before. This person paid no attention to her as he thrust he overboard. She felt herself falling and hit the sand, falling to her knees and then to her side.
"EASY!" shouted a voice above her, yanking her up. "Don't throw them around!"
"Sorry!"
Kate heard Sawyer and Jack land beside her. They couldn't leave her. In her mind that was her biggest fear, being left alone without either of them. She felt herself being pushed along and someone was beside her. She tried to figure out whom it was by their arm but couldn't. The inside of the hood was hot and sweaty, and she felt dehydrated.
Jack knew Kate was beside him and wanted to tell her that it was okay, that they'd be fine, but had no way to. They were pushed forward and felt the familiar trees and brush of the jungle. They were still on the island, thought Jack. At least they were still on the island.
There was murmuring and the hand holding Kate left her. She stood there, unsure of what was happening. Then someone else grabbed her and shoved her forward harshly and she struck a firm wall that felt like steel.
"She doesn't have anything on her," said someone angrily, pulling her back. "We checked already."
"Have to make sure," said a deeper, stronger voice that sent chills down Sawyer's spine. "Okay, go through."
"Namaste," said another, more feminine voice.
They had gone indoors, it was obvious from the dimming light and cooler air. Whoever had hold of Sawyer was not steering very well and he crashed several times into the wall. He struggled to straighten himself but only got shoved more. In his mind he could only imagine killing all of these people once his hands were free.
"Okay," said someone behind them.
Quickly, their hoods were ripped off and their gags removed. Kate gagged, coughing and spitting from the dry mouth she had. Jack looked around confusedly.
"You okay?" Sawyer asked, his dry lips cracking as he spoke.
"NO TALKING!"
Someone hit Sawyer hard in the arm with a club and he shouted in pain, grimacing, unable to do anything because of his tied arms.
Looking around, they were in a dim hallway right outside a set of large doors with the Dharma symbol on them. The doors were thick steel and looked filthy and aged. Jack was glancing from the doors to the dim faces around them.
Kate looked at Jack for a long time. They seemed to be waiting for someone, all of the Others staring at the door as they stood several feet from it. This hallway was made of thick plaster that was cracking and leaking water. The floor was puddles of muck and grime. Only two lights, one at each end of the hall lit the area. At the far end where they had entered were cracks in two larger doors to the outside, sunshine streaming through the tiny vents.
For a moment, Jack wondered when he'd see that sunshine again.
"Okay," said a voice. "I got the signal."
The hoods were suddenly replaced.
"JACK!" Kate screamed, fighting out of fear and claustrophobia. It had gotten too real, the door in front of her and the waiting. She suddenly realized this could be it.
"NO!" Jack was shouting, frantically trying to free himself as he was shoved forward.
But there was the sound of the doors opening and they were pushed inside.
"Charlie? Charlie, wake up," Claire was shaking Charlie with one hand while trying to hold onto Aaron with the other. "Please, come on!"
"What?" Charlie groaned groggily. The sun was bright in his face behind Claire. "Oh bugger."
"I need you to watch Aaron while I run to the hatch," she said, pulling him up to a sitting position. "I need to get some things and wash and I can't do it while holding him."
"Okay, okay," Charlie muttered, yawning widely and taking the infant from her. "How're yah doin, turniphead?"
"I thought you'd stopped calling him that?" she asked with a small smile as she picked up her bag of things.
"Yeah well, it still looks like one," Charlie gave her a sleepy smile. "Now go, do your duties."
Claire smiled gratefully and headed off, lugging the large bag of clothes. She hadn't washed her clothes in weeks, and had been hesitant to use the washing machine in the hatch. But now it seemed the only sensible way.
Reaching the path leading straight to the hatch, she noticed something odd. All the smaller trees that were bunched closely together were leaning away, towards the beach. It looked almost as if a very strong wind had come through here, bending them all at their bases. As she continued on, even the dirt looked wind swept, and some of the larger branches were fallen broken across the path. It almost looked like there had been a large storm.
Claire suddenly stopped. She realized she should have reached the hatch by now. Looking around she saw the familiar trees. Backtracking she stopped.
Where the door to the hatch should have been was an enormous amount of dirt and branches. It was raised almost as high as Claire's head. It looked almost like a giant cover-up, like someone had tried for many hours to cover up the entrance to the hatch that had once sat hidden behind some brush and vines. Now it was a mess of fallen trees and churned up dirt. Claire stared, not believing what she was seeing. The thick steel door was no where to be seen.
Dropping her bag she took off towards the beach. Her heart pounded in her throat, maybe she was going crazy. Maybe she'd seen wrong, or taken the wrong path. All she knew was that she had to get Charlie and have him help her. She had to be wrong.
"Charlie!" she shouted as she came out onto the beach. Charlie, who had been sitting with Aaron, playing with him, stood up quickly.
"What is it?" he asked nervously.
"You have to come with me," she panted, taking his free hand. "Come on!"
"What is it?" he asked as she dragged him quickly along the path. He held Aaron tightly, unsure of what Claire was getting at. He let her pull him along. "Are you going to tell me?"
"You have to see it for yourself," she hissed, her mind racing.
They reached the spot where Claire had dropped her bag. Charlie looked down at the spilled clothes.
"You dragged me out here to show me you dropped your clothes?" he asked smartly.
"Where is the hatch door?" she shrieked at him, her hands going to her chest in anxiety. She felt as though her heart would burst from her chest. "CHARLIE! WHERE IS IT?"
Charlie stared for a moment at the enormous heap that should have been the large hatch door, the enormous one that led into a small room before you had to turn the even larger lock. But it was just many fallen trees, churned up dirt, and leaves.
"Oh my god," Charlie whispered more to himself than to Claire, who looked near hysterical. "The hatch is gone."
Sawyer felt himself slammed hard into a door and heard a pair of keys being pulled from someone's pocket.
"You're going to regret this," Sawyer growled, only getting a fist shoved into his lower back again. "You son of a bitch you're going to regret this."
"Shut up," shouted someone, giving him a hard smack in the head with a club. Sawyer groaned, turning his pain into anger.
But he was shoved forward and fell, realizing they had cut his bonds. Ripping off the hood, he stood up quickly only to realize the door had been shut behind him.
Turning around he stared into the darkness. It was dim, the only light coming from under the large door. It seemed to be a small room with white walls and nothing else. The floor was bare.
Before Sawyer could even approach it, the door was opened and at the same time Kate and Jack were shoved inside. Both of their bonds had been cut and they too ripped off their hoods and looked around, terrified.
"Sawyer," Kate stood, hurrying to him and hugging him quickly.
"Is everyone okay?" Jack panted. He had a large bruise on his cheek that was purpling fast.
"Yeah," Kate nodded, looking at Sawyer who wasn't about to tell them he was pretty sure he had cracked a rib.
"What do.."
"Don't," Jack stopped her from talking. "They put us in here together probably to hear what we're thinking, what we want to do. They're listening, it's obvious."
"Jack," was all Kate could say. She looked terrified but seemed to hold a strong chin.
"It's going to be okay," assured Jack, looking at Sawyer who had never looked more furious.
"Michael better hope he never runs into me again in this lifetime," Sawyer growled, breathing harshly from his nose.
"I don't think he's gone," Jack looked around the small, dim room. "They set Michael a course that is probably wrong. Desmond couldn't get away from this island, I doubt Michael could with a set of false coordinates."
"What was that violet light?" Kate asked, crossing her arms more to keep from shaking than as a posture. "And that noise?"
"Something happened," Sawyer looked intensely at Jack. "Why do I have a feeling it had something to do with that button?"
"Why do you say that?" asked Jack. Kate knew he was ready to contradict Sawyer.
"Because of all that magnet mumbo jumbo. I'm not as dumb as I look," Sawyer glared at Jack as though daring him to retort. "Because when it happened, your watch stopped."
"How did you…" Jack looked down at his wrist. "You're right."
"I was looking at it. I guess I wanted to remember the time I died," sighing Sawyer, looked back at them and saw their looks. "What?"
"You think maybe something happened with that magnet in the hatch?" Jack said, suddenly serious. "The one behind that wall?"
"No, the one in Oz. Yes, that one," Sawyer looked frustrated and had begun to pace. "But why are we worrying about that. It didn't blow up the island unless we're dead now and don't know it. So it couldn't have been anything bad."
"I hope everyone's okay," Kate said quietly.
"Everyone? What about us?" Sawyer looked ready to snap. "We're in a freaking prison!"
"Sawyer!" Jack said harshly. "Calm down!"
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Sawyer snapped. He put his hands on his hips and looked down, his side aching.
"What will they do to us?" Kate said, her eyes wide as she looked at Jack for answers.
"I don't know," he said honestly.
Kate sat down against the wall and held her knees to her. Jack sat beside her and they watched Sawyer pace angrily for more than an hour. Kate had begun to lean on Jack, and in her mind she was begging him with all her might not to leave her alone.
"Someone's coming," Sawyer froze, almost like a dog hearing a noise outside.
Jack stood and pulled Kate to her feet. The three of them, without even realizing, had backed up against the far wall. Jack had kept one hand on Kate's belt.
The door clicked and opened. In the doorway was the silhouette of a young girl, maybe only 16. She held a large gun in her arms that looked strangely huge compared to her small frame.
"You two guys," she said, pointing at Jack and Sawyer. "Come with me."
Kate gripped Jack's hand so tightly he jumped, looking over at her. The girl pointed her gun at them and for a moment none of them moved.
"There isn't a problem, is there?" said Tom, or Mr. Friendly as they'd known him, opening the door more and standing behind the girl. "Now come on, we don't want to have to use the hoods and gags again."
Jack exchanged a look with Sawyer. He then reached down and squeezed Kate's hand tightly before pushing it off and starting towards the door with Sawyer.
They stepped out and for a moment the light from the door illuminated Kate standing alone against the long bare wall. Then slowly the light descended until it was only a sliver upon her and then it was darkness again, and there was the click of the lock.