Chapter 4-Island, few days later
There was chaos on the beach a few days after their walk on the beach that night. Elle was amidst the survivors who were watching the Doc screaming at Sawyer. There was something about inhalers and how the blonde waste of space needed them. She only got bits and pieces of the argument. Seemed that Shannon was having an asthma attack and her pretty boy brother accused Sawyer of having her spare inhalers.
"He had her book, he has her inhalers!" Boone cried.
He was pointing an accusatory finger in Sawyer's direction as Sayid held him back. Why Sawyer didn't tell them the truth from the beginning she would learn later, however at this moment Jack was about to attack Sawyer. Before Elle could jump in, the doctor's sidekick, Kate, broke up the fight. Sawyer was spitting vile remarks in their direction when he felt a familiar and friendly hand on his shoulder.
"Let's get you out of the spotlight there champ," Elle said, as she guided Sawyer back to his tent.
Sawyer was relieved to see her, more so, he was grateful.
"You wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?" she asked as they sat down on the cool, coarse granules of sand.
"You want their version or mine?" he snapped.
"I already got theirs. I'm more concerned about you."
Sawyer cussed a bit under his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He laid back and rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. When he looked up at her, he just stared at her and she saw her reflection in his eyes. She knew that look; he was hiding something from his past. Finally, he spoke.
"I'm not a good person, never was. They assume that since I have a cache of supplies, I would fuckin' have the chick's inhalers. You know what they say about making assumptions."
Sawyer chuckled at this and Elle pressed him for more information.
"I don't have 'em." he said, pointing to his left.
"I found the book washed up on the beach along with some other good reads."
She believed him as she followed his gaze; there were a few books strewn across his blanket along with a stack of magazines. Still curiosity got the best of her. Why would he want to portray himself as an inconsiderate jerk?
As if he was reading her mind, Sawyer coolly stated,
"I'm a complex guy."
She quickly put him in his place.
"Heard that line before, but I don't buy it! We all have our secrets. They were burnt in the fuselage along with our pasts. You aren't that guy when you're around me and still you go round for round with them pretending to be someone you're not. Why?"
Elle was truly exasperated by now and she heard him whisper,
"It's easier to be hated than loved."
She knew that all too well. Sawyer felt something he hadn't felt before; comfort. What was it about her that made him want to expose his soul? Sawyer inhaled deeply, and with a desperate sigh,
"Damn it woman…"
Sawyer began to spill his life out for her, right down to the note he carried in his back pocket.
She didn't know what to say. She didn't know where to start. He was a confidence man? He spent his whole life searching for the man that ruined his life and killed an innocent man? He took on his demon's persona and his life was never the same. His name was James? Her mind was swirling. How their pasts were so similar was shocking to Elle.
"I should have known," she sighed.
This wasn't the first time she was mistaken.
He looked up at her with those eyes and said,
"Shoulda' known what, darlin'?"
"How to spot a con artist. I'm pretty good at reading people. I had to in my line of work."
Sawyer looked hurt as he growled,
"This isn't a con! You were never a mark!"
She placed two hands on either of his arms, looked him straight in the eyes, and calmly told him that the thought never crossed her mind. In fact, she thought she left that all in the past.
"Left what?" he asked.
"The confidence way of life," was all she could muster.
His eyes lit up like a little boy at the foot of a Christmas tree.
"You've been holdin' out on me!"
"Like I said before, that life died when the plane crashed."
She didn't say anything else until she heard him ask with that southern drawl that made her knees weak,
"I showed you mine…"
They were interrupted by the heated doctor and Sayid. They dragged him out of the tent demanding the inhalers.
"Get your filthy hands off of me, Abdul!" Sawyer hissed.
Elle latched onto Jack's shoulder demanding him to let go of Sawyer.
"He doesn't have the damn inhalers, Jack!"
Jack shouted,
"Stay out of this Elle! He had his chance!" as he pushed her hands aside causing her to fall.
For a moment, Jack looked sympathetic towards her, but that was until she cursed him.
"You don't know who you're dealing with, Jack!" she spat.
"I swear to you, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into!"
Sayid said nothing but looked at Jack with an all-knowing stare,
"You do not want her as an enemy, friend."
Into the trees, they dragged him, and Elle found herself running East on the beach. She felt if she didn't burn off her anger, she would turn into something unforeseen.
"I won't be her anymore!" she said repeatedly in her head.
The beach seemed to go on forever and somehow she could hear Sawyer's screams from the jungle; it tore a hole in her heart.
Flashback (Elle age 25; weeks before the crash)
Ironically, since breaking the cardinal rule of being a con artist, Elle's life seemed to be going just fine. She was in love with Cameron. He was the polar opposite of Sully. When they made love, multiple times a day, it was slow and tender. Cameron took an interest in Elle unlike Sully. He was concerned for her. When she found herself alone with Cameron, she forgot her sullen life and got caught up in the moment. Perhaps her life had finally changed. Perhaps she was just blinded. Either way, she would soon find out that Sully was beginning to suspect a slight wrinkle in plans.
"Where the hell have you been?" he shouted, as she walked into their shabby apartment.
"Working." she countered.
Sully didn't like her tone. He was getting restless and it was starting to show.
"The job should have been over by now, Elle. Where in hell is the money?"
Not missing a beat, Elle convinced Sully that the money was on its way.
"He's finalizing a trade with a lucrative box company tomorrow. We'll have the 1.4 million and he'll be tomorrow's news. Keep your panties on, Sully. You're starting to sweat a little."
Something about the way she put him in his place caught Sully off guard. She was always on target with the scams but something in her eyes told Sully things were different this time. Her eyes were brighter somehow. Where were those blackened stones?
"You haven't fallen for the golden boy have you?" Sully mocked.
"If I didn't know better, Sully, I would think you were jealous. Believe me; the game is going exactly as planned."
Elle couldn't believe she sounded so convincing. She knew deep down that Sully was suspicious of her actions as of lately, but she couldn't let him think otherwise.
Sully followed her that night to Cameron's condo. What he saw boiled his intestines and the blood in his veins bled vengeance. She was laughing! No, no, it was more than that. She was curled up on the couch and his arms were wrapped around her. They were watching TV and Sully could see how at home she was. She had fallen for the twit!
He stalked back to his car and promised,
"You can't con a con, baby. I taught you better than that!"
The following morning, Elle knew she had to tell Cameron the truth. It wasn't easy for her to show her true colors. However, she began at the beginning and ended with her heart poured out on the table. She told Cameron that she was pregnant with his child and that she wanted to make a new name for herself. For them!
"You need to get out of town, Cam. I can hold him off for now, but I need to know you are safe. We both do." she said referring to their unborn child.
Together they concocted a plan. Cameron would take a flight to Australia that afternoon and she would meet him there within the month. Sully needed to believe that she had sealed the deal with her mark. Cameron would leave the money with her and would greet her with open arms come the end of the month.
"I hate seeing you do this alone. Please, let me help you," he pleaded with her as he packed the briefcase with the money.
Without a word, she kissed him with all of her soul, and left the condo. Putting on her bravest and coldest face, she drove back to the apartment she kept with Sully.
She arrived to find Sully finishing off a fifth of Jack Daniels.
This will be easier than I thought, she said to herself. She briskly walked up to Sully and tossed the briefcase onto the table.
"Started to celebrate without me, I see!" she exclaimed. Sully didn't bother to look up at her. With his eyes lowered and the glass to his lips, he spoke.
"It's about damn time you showed up. I was starting to worry."
Worry? She thought. When did he ever give two damns about me?
"What are we going to do with all this money," she crooned. She straddled his waist and held a wad of Benjamins under his nose.
"We take Marcus his share, that's what we do. We meet him tonight at 8 p.m. After that, it's the world, sugar." Sully seemed to have lightened up.
"It's not over until we're clear of Marcus. Meet me at The Cellar tonight with the case."
With that, Sully laid a wet, sloppy kiss on her mouth, hard, and pushed her off him. He walked to the shower.
"You coming or what?" he invited.
Feeling disgusted with herself, Elle began to pack. After the shower, Sully left for the club with Marcus' share. While going through her most prized possessions, her books, a piece of paper fell to the floor. On it was a time to meet Marcus, but to her surprise, it wasn't the time Sully had given her. Why would he be meeting Marcus a half hour earlier? Something in her gut made her think the worst.
Is he playing me for a fool? she thought to herself. There was only one way to find out.
As she circled the club's lot, she parked her Black SUV in the alley. She entered the club through the backdoor and took a seat. To her amazement, at the bar, she saw Sully and Marcus.
"The poor bitch won't know what hit her. She's gone soft on me, Marcus. I have to get rid of her. She's compromised my whole operation." Sully snickered, spitting onto the floor.
Gone soft? So he knew. He followed me, the bastard. He planned to get rid of her that night. How? She knew it would be dirty but quick. She eased out the backdoor and parked her car a block down the road. She trekked back to the bar and waited in the alley. She knew Sully like a book. He used the back entrance as his toilet. After waiting until 8 p.m. and realizing she hasn't shown with the money, he will slip out the back door and head to his car at the front of the alley. That's when she would make her move. She was sick to her stomach realizing it had to come down to this, but she had to do it.
Like clockwork, Sully emerged from the club, staggering from the liquor, and placed his left hand on the brick wall and unzipped his jeans.
Like a book, Elle thought to herself. He's so damn predictable. She watched as he stumbled to his car. She crept along the wall. She moved like a panther stalking its prey. Silent and agile, she found herself standing behind Sully. The drunken bastard was fumbling for his keys; he didn't even hear her coming.
Elle pressed the 9mm to the back of his skull like a professional.
"Disappointed baby?" she whispered.
"If there's one thing you taught me, Sully, and you taught me well, was that you can never con a con. You tripped up this time. Left clues like an amateur."
Sully sucked in a breath and exhaled,
"I had no other choice, baby…it was either you or me, and we both know I'm selfish."
"Selfish, but predictable," she stated.
She cocked the gun. Before she could pull the trigger, Sully whispered the words that would haunt her dreams,
"Karma's a bitch, sugar."
Elle didn't say a word; the gun spoke for her. She watched as Sully died in a pool of his own black as sin blood. She had killed before, but this time, it was natural. That made her sick to her stomach. On the other hand, was it something else?
"Oh, no, please God!" she groaned as she grabbed her stomach.
"Not the baby!" she pleaded.
There wasn't a sound in that alley that night except for her whimpering as she walked the block to her jeep. Echoing off the pavement, she thought she could hear Sully's hoarse voice whispering Karma, but it was only her imagination playing tricks on her, right?