Chapter Four: Walkabout
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"Vincent, knock it off!"
Locke rose to the sounds of Michael trying to silence the dog but it was to no avail and Vincent continued barking. The dog began to growl at the sound of metal rattling and something creaking loudly from the fuselage. The reverberating sound of echoing snorts and growling suddenly came from the darkness and the survivors all huddled together, their eyes locked on the plane.
"Somebody's in there."
"Everyone in there's dead."
Jack pushed through the group, eyes narrowing. "Sawyer."
"Right behind you, Jackass."
The doctor turned to his left and saw Sawyer standing there as the growling continued. A loud crash erupted from the fuselage and Locke stepped forward, catching sight of Faith standing off to the side, her gaze dead set on the trashed section of airplane.
He inched closer, mindful to keep his attention to the matters at hand. "What do you think it is?"
"Something big and hungry."
There was a loud shrieking and the group all turned as one.
"Run!"
She shoved Locke towards a section of trees and the two stepped to the side as three large sized animals rushed past them, everyone scrambling for a safe place to stand until they passed.
It grew quiet as the animals disappeared into the forest and Faith glanced around, smirking at the sight of Boone guarding himself and Shannon with a large piece of metal.
"Everyone okay!"
"What was that?"
Locke stepped out from the trees and she watched as he glanced over at her and then back to the forest with a slow smile. "Boars."
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"There's other people here, or don't you give a crap?"
"Well, if one of us wouldn't eat more than his fair share, we wouldn't be having this problem!" Sawyer pushed at Hurley, snarling as he held the bag in his hand away from the other man as far as he could. Hurley made a move to grab it and this time Sawyer pulled back, his hand clenched in what looked like an attempt to swing.
He was suddenly jerked backwards, the bag flying out of his hand and Sawyer went sprawling into the sand.
Faith stared down at him as he lay at her feet and she smirked, shaking the backpack in his face.
"Hey! What's going on?"
She glanced over at Jack, shrugging before passing him the bag. "Sawyer fell down."
Sawyer snarled angrily, cursing under his breath, and he propelled himself to his feet, towering over her. He leaned down into her face, features contorted in anger. "You better watch who you put your hands on Cupcake."
"Why?" She shot back. "What are you gonna do about it? Call me a flavor of ice cream?"
"You just watch…"
"Sawyer, that's enough." Jack pushed the other man back with a hand and stepped in between them. "Now what's going on?"
"Long story short?" Hurley muttered. "We're out of food."
Faith and Sawyer eyed each other but finally she turned spotting Locke and moved to stand beside him, Sawyer relocating to sit down on one of the airplane chairs set up on the beach.
The crowd began to talk amongst themselves, Sayid doing his best to calm their fears of starvation, but it was obvious that they were all nervous and worried now that all the food from the airplane was gone.
"There are plenty of things on this island we can use for sustenance."
Sawyer let out a loud chuckle. "And exactly how are we gonna find this sustenance?"
Before he could blink, a knife embedded itself into the seat next to him and as he jerked back, everyone looked towards Boone. He slowly shifted towards who everyone was now focused on, finding Locke and Faith.
"We hunt." Locke simply suggested.
Kate glanced uneasily from the knife to Locke as Jack tore it from the seat and handed it back to him. "How'd you get that knife on the plane?"
"Checked it." He shrugged. "It's fairly simple. There's boar on the island. I figure it will take at least four of us to distract her long enough for me to flank one of the piglets, pin it, and slit its throat." He moved to the side, foot lifting up the edge of a case by Faith's feet and it revealed six extra hunting knives.
The crowd shifted uneasily, all looking at one another.
Faith almost laughed at the sight of Hurley's amazed face and the soft, questioning, "Who is this guy?" that escaped him. She caught Locke's eye.
"Best idea I've heard yet." She nodded and turned her attention back to everyone. "We'll need two other people to go with us then. Who are the brave souls?" Faith smiled. "Kate?"
Kate nodded back. "I'm good to go."
"Me too."
Faith shifted her attention to see Walt's father. "Don't you think you should stay with Walt?"
He narrowed his eyes. "He'll be fine. I'm going."
"Alright then." Faith glanced back to Locke. "Let's go hunting."
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Faith watched quietly from her squatting position as Kate and Jack talked. He seemed hesitant but then nodded, his eyes glancing over to look past her at Locke.
A few seconds later Kate glanced over as well but when she caught Faith watching them, she turned her back, blocking Jack as they continued to talk.
"I don't think they trust you."
Faith glanced over to find Locke sharpening a knife and smirked. "That's funny, I was going to say the exact thing to you." She looked around to see some of the passengers shooting curious glances at Locke, others already distancing themselves by the sight of it. It made her grunt in annoyance and she stood brushing the sand from her dark blue jeans.
"Did you work there?"
Faith glanced down at the logo on her tank that read 'Sony's Barbeque' in big red letters against the black of the fabric. "Borrowed it, don't plan on giving it back." She squinted at him, lips twisting. "Sort of tongue in cheek isn't it?"
He chuckled, shaking his head before he concentrated yet again on his knife. "Are you going to take one?" He motioned at his case with the tip of the blade.
"I have one, thanks."
Locke glanced towards her, and he spotted the Jackal hunting knife she held in her hand. She wasn't looking at him, her eyes following the blade as it glistened in the sun.
"How'd you get that on the plane?"
"I checked it."
"I appreciate this."
"Think nothing of it, it's part of my job."
Faith glanced over at the middle-aged woman, the brown leather bag extended in her hands. "Everything still in there?"
"Everything you dropped off yesterday. Let me tell you though, it was a pain to get this past security even with my level of clearance. Just be careful and keep it locked in the overhead compartment the entire flight."
"Careful's my middle name." Faith took the bag, slinging it over her shoulder and she glanced behind her at the checkpoint she had already passed. "No one will ask me any questions?"
"You're cleared and ready to board now." The woman glanced around then adjusted the sleeves of her stewardess jacket and the pins located on her left breast pocket. "I will inform Giles that you are on your way back."
"I know all you watcher people like to report in and all that but don't bother." Faith shook her head. "Not like you really have any place to report now anyway…"
Her comment seemed to ruffle the other woman who straightened to stand an inch taller than Faith. Her intimidation attempt faltered at seeing the knowing smirk on the slayer's face.
"The organization that I strongly believed in may have been destroyed thanks to Caleb, but don't mock it Faith. Giles called me to help you, he trusted me with assisting you with this important mission, and I did that."
"No offense Margaret but you're still a watcher and considering the last few times your kind and mine have met, I'm a little leery on that whole trust thing." Faith shrugged. "I appreciate the help but there's no longer a sign in sheet I have to deal with."
She reached out to grab Margaret's wrist and squeezed a silent warning, satisfied as the woman winced before she let go. "You call Giles and tell him everything went as planned and to keep in contact with you but as far as I'm concerned, I don't know where I'm going so it'd be best if we just left it at that."
Margaret nodded and satisfied, Faith quickly moved past her without a second glance. She gazed down at the plane ticket in her hand, seeing the bold letters that read OceanicAir Flight 815 and checked her watch. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and seeing she had plenty of time left until take off, Faith headed towards the nearest fast food booth.
The hunting party stopped as Locke knelt down and scraped at the ground with his knife. Faith kept watch, her eyes scanning the trees for a sign of anything suspicious.
"The ground here has been routed up." Locke stood up, looking around as well.
"We're close."
"Let's keep going," Faith motioned them forward and she matched strides with Locke as they moved ahead a lengthy distance from Michael and Kate. She looked around, hand wrapped firmly around the handle of the knife that rested comfortably on her hip.
"So there a story to that knife or do you just always carry a Jackal with you when on long trips?"
Faith glanced towards Locke. "There's always a story. I think the question you wanted to ask was, do I want to share with you why I have this knife?"
He grinned and looked around, studying the ground as they continued.
Faith glanced over her shoulder to see Kate and Michael, the two conversing quietly. "It was a gift from someone who meant something to me a long time ago."
"And that changed?"
Faith looked at Locke again. "What exactly did you do before we crashed on the island Locke? A psychic maybe?"
Locke shrugged. "I guess I just have a good judge of character."
"Right." She chuckled and was quiet for a few minutes. Faith's grip tightened on the knife handle. "The person who gave it to me is dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be, I'm not." She cleared her throat. "He turned into something I didn't recognize."
"Ah, a green-eyed monster perhaps?"
"No." Faith smiled. "Something a little bigger and a whole lot meaner from what I hear." She ignored the look of confusion on his face and motioned to more track marks ahead of them. "Those look fresh." She glanced back towards Michael and Kate. "Why do I get the sneaking suspicion they might be talking about us?"
"People always fear what they don't understand Faith; it's the way of human nature."
"I know about that all too well." She turned her attention to the high grass in front of them and lifted her blade, motioning at him with her free hand as she pointed.
Locke stopped in his tracks. "Shh!"
Kate and Michael inched forward, both taking out the knives Locke had given them, and Locke motioned for Michael to move around. He pointed towards his eyes and pointed again, the move obviously confusing Michael.
"Hey, quit giving us the steal signal. I don't know what you're saying!"
Faith glared at Michael but any retort that could have been uttered was lost at the sound of something grunting and squealing loudly. A wild boar suddenly burst through the tall grass at full speed towards them.
"Boar!"
Locke reacted immediately, pushing Kate to the side, and the sudden movement made Kate fall back as the boar rushed between them. Michael let out a yell of surprise, trying to dodge as well but it was obvious he wasn't going to be fast enough. Faith pivoted, leaping forward over Kate and jumped towards Michael, grabbing and rolling him as they fell.
The piglet ran off into the woods, disappearing completely in the tall grass. The woods around them grew quiet just as a single moan went up. Kate was attempting slowly to get to her feet and Faith sat up, glancing at Locke lying flat on his back a foot away.
"Everyone okay?"
"Oh, god." Kate leaned over Michael's leg. "I'm fine but Michael's hurt, it looks bad." She flinched at the sight of blood seeping through Michael's pants leg. "It really does not look good, we're gonna have to go back."
"Locke!"
Faith shifted her attention to the older man as well. "Yo, Locke! You hurt?"
"I'm fine." He was slow to lift himself off the ground, shaking his head as he glanced towards Kate and Michael. "I'm fine Helen, I'm okay."
"Helen?" Faith squinted at Kate who shrugged and she turned her attention back to Locke to watch him slowly get off the ground.
Kate ripped off Michael's sleeve to use it as a bandage on his leg. "We have to get Michael back to Jack so he can look at this wound. We're gonna have to forget the boar."
"No." Locke shook his head. "Which way did it go?"
"Forget the boar Locke!" Kate argued. "Michael is hurt!"
"I'm fine. I can do this."
Kate frantically looked to Faith as she pressed down on Michael's leg. "John, you can't! Come on, you can't! We have to go back. Tell him Faith!"
He had already turned away; knife firmly in his hand again as he started into the tall grass in the direction the piglet had fled.
"Don't tell me what I can't do."
He disappeared into the woods and Faith glanced over her shoulder back at Kate.
"Can you get him back to camp?"
"Yeah." Kate nodded. "What about you?"
Faith glanced away. "I'm going after Locke."
"Faith, come on. Locke's already gone. Are you sure you can handle…"
"I'm more than capable of handling myself as is Locke. Michael, on the other hand…" She waved her knife at the hurt man and Kate's eyes widened as she saw the blade. "We'll be fine."
"Suit yourself." Kate placed her arm around Michael's shoulders. "Can you get up?"
Michael nodded and satisfied, Kate turned to speak again. "Take…care…"
Faith was already gone.
She tried to ignore the armed guards prowling over her head as she continued doing pull-ups, the sun glaring down harshly onto C-Block Exercise Yard. She hesitated at noticing another prisoner looking past her and finished the pull-up.
Faith twisted, kicking the woman behind her in the face, and she flipped forward to dismount from the metal bar, landing on her feet as her attacker fell on her behind. The knife that had been in the woman's possession landed near Faith's feet but she didn't go for it, keeping her eyes on the other woman as she slowly stood back up.
"Alright, you got my attention. What's your beef, Deb?" Faith stepped back and allowed Deb to snatch the knife up in a shaky hand. "You really ought to think twice." She ducked as the knife was swung her direction and pushed Deb away. "Or not."
"Nothing personal. I need the money." Deb tried again but Faith punched her in the face and it knocked her back down to the ground.
"For what? A nose job?" Faith grabbed a bell bar from the weight bench to her right and slammed the end of it in Deb's face, watching as the woman dropped unconscious at her feet. Faith looked up just as the guard headed towards her with a shotgun in his hand. She immediately dropped the bell bar and stepped away.
"Hey, hey, self defense. She attacked me, Eddie." She raised her hands.
"Yeah, I saw the whole thing."
"Wait, you saw?"
"Hey, she caught us by surprise." He chuckled bending to pick up the forgotten knife. "I mean, who'd be crazy enough to try to take you out?"
Faith burst through the trees, pushing aside the tall grass in her way and almost bumped directly into Locke. "What's going on?" She questioned stepping around him. "Get lost? Again?"
Locke let out a loud sigh and glanced around. "The tracks… were right here…"
Faith looked down. "Well they're not anymore." She glanced at their surroundings. "It's probably in Mexico by now."
"Mexico?"
She shrugged and grinned at the bewildered look on his face. "Gut reaction of where to go when you're in trouble, my bad."
"You're something else Ms. Faith." Locke continued deeper into the forest and she followed. "Jackal knife on you, Mexico… If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were running from something."
"We're all running from something Locke." She stood placing her hands on her hips. "You first. What were you running from?"
"Running to, not from." He shook his head. "I came to Australia for a walkabout, trekking across vast stretches of desert and rafting, that sort of thing. It's a journey of discovery."
"Did you do it?"
"No." Locke looked away just as a high-pitched squeal suddenly cut through the air. "Something else came up."
Faith squinted, shielding her eyes as another squeal echoed through the trees, and Locke sprung towards the noise. "Locke!" She swore under her breath as he disappeared into the tree. "You crazy old… Locke!"
She ran through the forest after him, clearing a thick patch of brush, and less than five minutes later, she stopped just short of colliding straight into him from behind again. "What in the hell are you…"
A loud growling noise came from the trees in front of them and automatically Faith snatched the knife from her belt, holding it firmly in her right hand. She kept her eyes on the trees as they began to sway back and forth, tuning out the sound of the boar as it squealed in pain and then suddenly went quiet.
"Locke…" Faith whispered. "We might have to make a run for it."
"No." He set a firm hand on her shoulder. "Not yet. Just wait."
The trees shook more veraciously but nothing came through, the sound continuing. It went quiet just as quickly.
"What was…"
"Look!"
A boar broke through the grass in a dead charge towards them.
"I'm on it!" Faith turned, eyes narrowing as Locke took off through the trees the direction the boar and the noise had come from. "Locke!" She leapt to the side, rolling to come back up on her feet as the boar rushed by.
It didn't go far, turning back without warning to charge her again, and Faith's eyes went wide. She steadied herself and the knife as the boar ran towards her. "Come on, come on."
Just as it reached where she stood, she moved to the side, lifting her knife high and Faith slammed the blade directly into the boar's spine. It squealed in pain and she lifted the knife again, this time slitting the boar's throat.
It fell limp at her feet and Faith stepped away. "And that's how we deal with stalkers in California." She stepped back looking around. "Locke, are you…"
He was standing only a few feet away, staring at her with no other emotion on his face but pure amazement.
"What?" Faith glanced down at the boar and then back at Locke. "What'd I say?"
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The torch Boone held in his hand continued to burn, the flames flickering in the wind as a pregnant blonde woman named Claire continued to shift through the stack of papers in her hands. Behind them, the fuselage burned brightly against the dark sky. Faith crossed her arms over her chest as she stood beside Locke, listening at the names of the deceased as they were read. Hurley stood beside Claire as well, somber look on his face as he held other items for Claire to share with the group.
"Emmanuel Rafael Ortiz, Los Angeles. Turned 32 just last week. "
"Nice work."
Faith shifted to look at Michael from his spot on the other side of Locke, noticing the man's attention was on Locke and not on her.
Locke frowned shifting as well. "What?"
"The boar. Nice work, you know. Killing it. Just thought I should say something."
"Oh, that?" Locke glanced towards Faith. "That was…"
"That was nothing." Faith interrupted. "Locke, he knows what he's doing. A natural hunter I tell you man, natural."
"Well, thanks again."
Locke kept his attention on Faith but nodded. "No problem."
Michael moved away to undoubtedly find his son, and Faith refocused on Claire as she continued reading.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I know."
"I didn't kill it, you did."
"I was there." Faith nodded and she glanced back towards Locke. "That noise in the forest, did you see what was making it?"
"No." Locke looked at the fire. "I didn't see anything."
She kept her eyes on him. "And I didn't kill that boar." Faith waited until he directed his attention to her once again, their eyes connecting before she smirked. "Guess we all have our little secrets then don't we?"
Faith patted him on the shoulder and made her way through the group, catching Kate's eye as she passed her standing next to Charlie. She nodded, Kate returning the gesture and Faith broke through the group, making her way down the sand towards the shore.
She hadn't gone far when she noticed a shadowy figure. "What are you doing all the way out here by yourself?"
"I'm thinking."
"Ah," Faith plopped down next to Jack. "I have to warn you. Too much of that will get you into trouble, I know from experience."
"I hear you and Locke did well today."
Faith nodded looking towards the waves as they crashed on the beach. "Meat is back on the menu." She hesitated for only a split second. "I hear you went on your own adventure today. Everything turn out okay?"
"I thought I saw something." Jack shrugged. "But it turned out to be my imagination running away with me."
She didn't respond and glanced at the fuselage as it continued to light the night sky. "Think anyone will see that?"
"I have faith someone will." Jack caught Faith's expression and chuckled. "Fine, we'll go with hope instead." He rephrased. "I hope someone will. Is that better?"
Faith shrugged, the smile remaining on her face. "Works for me."
She looked back towards the ocean and they continued to sit there, no need for anything else to be said… for now.
