Daisy woke screaming again, the nightmare gripping at her, wanting to drag her back down before it faded. Laying on her back panting she waited for the tremors that held her body captive to pass. She hated it, hated the utter feeling of weakness that always greeted her after the nightmares left. Never in her life, even during everything that had happened on the island, never had she felt helpless. She met everything head on. Her father often joked she'd make a hell of a soldier the way she never shied away from a challenge. If she failed at something she only pushed herself harder to exceed that limitation. It was what made her such a high caliber swimmer and one that could have gone all the way to gold. Well at least that's what some people used to say. That had never interested her however. Sure she liked to compete and to win, but make swimming her entire life? That wasn't for her. Daisy still had a lot of living to do and she didn't want to waste her youth on just that. She wanted to take a bite out of everything life had to offer, not just one thing.

With a heavy sigh she tried to extract herself from the sleeping bag that had become entangled with her legs, most likely while she thrashed around. Finally free of the damned thing she crawled out of the two man tent and stood to stretch. Looking around she blew loose strands of her blonde hair from her eyes. Same cave. Same old boat. Same little rocks circling the ashes of a dead campfire. Same other tents nobody was using any more. Same everything.

"Not the same Daisy." She muttered to herself. God she hated this so damn much! She was not weak! She was a strong woman who knew what she wanted and more times than not got it. Only these damn nightmares were just so...twisted.

At first it had been the same one on loop. Keith and Oliver dying while she watched. Every night that one came after her relentlessly, just gnawing away at her. Later Jason had started popping into it and he never had eyes, just ragged holes that cried blood. Sometimes he taunted her, but other times he offered to help her. For some reason the ones where he offered to help really bothered her. She'd be watching her friends suffering, dying, hearing them scream for her to help as the pirates gunned them down and then Jason, minus his eyes, would just be there, offering to go save them. To kill the pirates for her if she'd only ask him to. Only she never did. No matter how bad it got for Keith and Oliver she never let Jason help them, not once.

She just couldn't. It was too much like making a deal with the Devil, at least that's what she told herself. Jason had made his choice and it wasn't them. She'd never trust him after that, even dead and in a nightmare, not ever again. Besides he didn't deserve to play hero for them after what he'd done.

If it had stopped there maybe she could have gotten a handle on things somehow, but it didn't. New things had started to creep into her sleeping hours and they were as ugly as the first one was twisted. Things like her never having escaped the pirates and all the things they did to her. How they used her, tormented her, and did all they could to break her. In those she fought, kicking and screaming, no matter what. Even though every time they still won, she fought them every step of the way. Another nightmare that really was messed up had her being the one with the knife in the temple and Jason had been tied up. She'd stand there holding the knife to his throat and he'd just look at her with those empty eye sockets while the blood ran down his face and he'd smile at her and tell her to do it for Grant...and she would. She'd slit Jason's throat and watch him die, his face sagging as his life left him. She always felt so powerful in that one and that freaked her out. She didn't want to be like that. Not like Jason. Then came the worst of the bunch.

In this one she was tied up in that temple again, beside Liza, and after Jason slit his former girlfriend's throat, instead of passing out like he had back then, he would instead move over to her. Daisy could remember that particular dream in the greatest detail because it felt so real. His hand on her neck, fingers strong, his thumb brushing under her chin before he used it to press her head back, exposing her throat. Every time she'd wonder if she was going to beg for her life like Liza had or would she be strong. She wanted to be strong, she really did. Most of the time she would clamp her teeth together and just stare up at the sky and then she'd feel the blade cut into the soft skin of her throat and wake up screaming.

That version was the easiest to deal with. It was the other one, the one where she gave in and begged for her life that really tore her up. In that dream just as soon as Jason tilted her head back she would begin to cry and beg him not to do it. She'd promise him anything, no matter what it was. She'd say anything, do anything, if only he wouldn't kill her. Then he'd relax his hold on her and her head would lower so she could see him. Jason would smile, his fingers sliding up her neck to her cheek, his thumb tracing her lower lip and that's when she'd see his eyes. His real eyes. Pale green orbs that were friendly and warm and just so him. It was the only version of any of the nightmares where Jason didn't have holes for eyes. In that dream she hated her weakness and how badly she always wanted to throw her arms around him and thank him for saving her, for not killing her like all the others. She always woke from that one shivering with contempt for herself rather than screaming. She'd curse her dream self for being such a coward and hate herself for the tiny kernel of truth that remained inside her despite being awake.

As lonely as she was now and as much as she wished she could be with her friends again, she wanted even more to live, and she wondered to what ends would she go to ensure that she did.

Brushing her mind clear she stood thinking of what needed to be done today? Judging by the angle of the light coming in from the cave's entrance the sun hadn't been up long. Naturally her eyes turned to the boat that had been their hope of escaping the island for months. They'd patched every hole they could find the best that they could. Had started to stockpile things for the trip, things like food mostly. Thinking of the boat reminded her of the problems that still remained before it could get underway. Like how despite the engine working now it had no fuel at all. They had only been able to test fire the old rust bucket a couple of times while she worked on it before it had sputtered dry. So she had to find some fuel and get it into the cave. All on her own no less.

"Won't that be fun?" Frowning at the very idea of it.

Then she had to some how get the thing out of the cave. The bow of the boat had been swallowed by roots that were as thick as she was in places. She had no idea what kind of tree they had belonged to, but there wasn't even a stump up above the cave on the Doc's property. The tree must have been cut down when the house had been built. Oh and to add insult to injury the boat was only half in the water and the damn thing wasn't one of those little two man jobs you could just push into the water. No it was a full on let's go fishing off the coast all day boats and while that made it almost perfect to get off the island, it meant she was going to have a monumental job of getting it fully into the water. Then on top of all that, because yes there just had to be more, the back of the cave where the water was, where the boat had to go, was littered with rocks the size of cars that blocked it off like a solid wall. It was going to take either Superman or a lot of damn explosives to get past that.

"Goddamn it!" Giving voice to her frustration, she bent down and grabbed a rock near her foot and threw it as hard as she could at the boat. It bounced off with a dull thunk and plopped into the water with a splash and then the cave was as quiet as the ever present drips would allow it to be.

Chest heaving with pent up emotions, Daisy wiped the back of her arm across her mouth with a frown set deep on her lips. "I'm such an idiot. Such a damn idiot." Fuming at herself for how completely foolish the entire boat thing had been all along. The damn thing was never leaving this cave, not ever. She brought a hand to her brow and tried to calm herself with deep breathes. Just like before a big swim meet, just breathe. Just...breathe.

Suddenly Dory from Finding Nemo popped into her head with 'Just keep swimming...Just keep swimming.'

Daisy's frown broke into a little smile only to crumble as tears slid hotly down her face. She loved that movie and didn't care who made fun of her for it. That silly kid's movie never got old no matter how many times she watched it. Only it was part of her past now. Part of a life she would never know again. She'd never see Dory, not ever again.

Throwing her hands up, she turned around in the cave to face a different dull colored wall, that looked exactly like the rest of the place. "I'm crying over a fish from a kid's movie. Jesus Christ I've lost my damn mind."

Ok, forget this she thought, just get back to the problems. Yeah because that would make her feel better. Just focus Daisy, she commanded herself, her mind falling into place according to her will. The nightmares weren't here right now. She was alone and there were things she had to get done or things she should at least do so she didn't go nuts out of boredom or let depression drag her into an early grave. Right so what's next? What should she put her energy into?

Moving through the cave she climbed up onto the boat and then down into the cabin just ahead of the twin berths. This was where they'd been storing the food they were going to take when they were ready to leave. With Dr Earnhardt's help they'd gotten a pretty good supply of canned food and bottled water, intending to add fresher food just before leaving. It had all been planned out for the six of them, well until Jason had dropped his bombshell on them about staying. It hadn't been much for six people who didn't know how long they'd have to make it last, but for the past month it had been more than enough for just her. Now though the stash was running low and she figured in the next two weeks it would run out. This was a problem that deserved her attention for sure she decided.

Time to go to work.

First she went back to her tent and took the small .38 revolver and a handful of shells. The first she tucked into the waist of her jeans, at the small of her back, the others she stuffed into a pocket. Next she sat down to pull on some decent socks, the ones with the least holes, and her sneakers. It was going to be hot again out there and she so wished she could just wear her tank top, but she knew better. A vicious sunburn was not what she wanted and she had no idea how long she'd be exposed to the sun's rays. So on with a long sleeved shirt that was thin enough to at least let the breeze through. She made quick work of her hair, pulling it back from her face in a low ponytail, then added a twist and a tuck to shorten it all the more. Her hair was getting longer than she normally kept it, reaching just past her shoulders now.

Feeling ready as she'd ever be, Daisy left the cave and took the curling path up to what was left of Dr Earnhardt's house. As always she avoided looking towards the gazebo. Heading towards the greenhouse she remembered back to before everything had gone to Hell. To a time when Dr Earnhardt had shown her something.

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Then...

Dr Earnhardt lead Daisy towards the greenhouse by the hand. He was fidgety today despite his regimen of medication as he put it, and it showed in the way he walked, shuffling along in quick little steps, to how his reddened eyes darted around as if half expecting a bomb to go off. His lanky figure was stooped a bit as he turned back to look at her, his gaze focusing once it settled on her face.

His voice stern, "Now Agnes I want to show you something, but you must promise never to tell another soul. Not even that boy Jason alright?" Offering her a tiny grin before lifting his pinky finger to his mouth, chewing on the nail nervously.

Agnes again. Daisy was pretty sure Agnes was his daughter, or used to be. The poor man obviously wasn't all there in a lot of ways, but he had been a rock she had clung to after Jason had gone off to find the others. She didn't want to cause the old guy any more stress than she already had so she just went along with it, like she always did lately. "I promise."

"Good girl." Earnhardt nodded quickly, then stopping his steps so suddenly that she almost ran into him. Taking his pinky away from his mouth he gaped at her for a moment. "I want you to understand that I don't dislike the boy Agnes. He's a fine and decent boy, you do understand that don't you Agnes?"

"Sure I do." Her heart breaking for the old man. He was lost real good this time.

"Yes well it's just...I have a secret and as you know secrets are best kept close to heart my dear." His long fingers sliding up her arm to rest on her shoulder as he smiled at her. "Special things like secrets must be kept of course."

Daisy reached up to take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I understand."

Nodding again he started back towards the greenhouse with her in tow. Once inside he made a big show of darting around, looking out all the dirty windows, and even under the tables before shutting both doors and locking them. Then he went to the table he always worked at and bent down low, his knees making quiet popping sounds as his old joints flexed. Looking back up, he waved her to him with both hands.

"Here, look here." Pointing at the floorboards under the table once she joined him, crouching down herself.

She looked and saw just old rotting boards and dirt. "What am I looking for?" She asked, wondering if he was seeing something that wasn't actually there. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Exactly!" He declared with a lifted finger, triumph in his voice. "That is the entire point. You see nothing. However with a little effort..."

He leaned under the table, putting one hand to the floor for support as his other began picking at the corner of a board. Daisy watched as his slender fingers pried the corner up and then he flipped the board over completely. In short work he removed two more boards and soon a hole in the floor was before her.

"Now with the prize exposed all we need do is simply remove the goodies." He chuckled a bit at some joke only he understood, then his hands delved into the darkness of the hole. He came out from under the table, sitting down on the floor with a tired grunt. His hands held a rusty metal toolbox in his lap. Lifting his blurry eyes to her he grinned lopsidedly. "Ah yes, here we are."

Daisy had to admit her curiosity was piqued now. "Aren't you full of surprises?" Smiling at him.

"Yes, I mean no. Not at all." He seemed to pause to think about it. "Well I suppose one could say that in this case it shall be a surprise yes. Only I want you to know of it. In case you ever find need of it."

With a flourish he threw the toolbox open and turned it so she could see inside. What she saw were little tight bundles of cash, a very well drawn map of the island, complete with landmarks and even settlement names, and a rather large folding pocketknife. Daisy realized that she was staring at the doc's life savings as it were.

"The ah, money is of course from my business with Vaas and his men." He lowered his head in shame then. "P-Please don't think less of me Agnes." He begged softly. "Your father has had a rather tough time of it and he's made some crude choices I'm afraid."

Daisy knelt before him and wrapped the rail thin man up in a warm hug. Pressing her face into his shoulder she spoke quietly to him. "I don't care. You're a good man, a very good man."

"Oh Agnes I wish good men didn't have to do horrid things." He whined sadly into her hug, but pulled away, snorting back the tears in a very awkward fashion.

She let her arms fall as she leaned back from him. "Ok now?"

"Quite." He said in his almost dignified way. "Now then back to the task at hand. This as you can imagine is a lot of money and many of ill repute would do grave harm to have at it. Thus I hide it along side this." Taking out the pocketknife and unfolding it. With a click the blade locked into place and the entire thing was close to eight inches long, the blade nice and wide, with a wood finished handle fitted with brass ends. Holding the knife as if he'd never held it before, let alone used the thing, he looked at her over its gleaming edge. "One can never be too careful. Protection is of paramount importance my dear Agnes. This wicked tool gives me peace of mind. The release is here you see." Touching the back of the handle where a small metal bar could be pressed, unlocking the blade so it could be folded away.

Daisy was well versed with pocketknives having grown up around boats, you always kept one with you in case you had to cut rope. "Makes perfect sense." Reaching into the box, she withdrew the folded map and carefully opened it. It was actually a patchwork of sketch paper, held together by clear tape, and obviously hand drawn. "What's this for?"

Earnhardt was ruffling through the little bundles of cash, having deposited the knife back into the box. He looked up and just stared at the map where Daisy had laid it out on the floor as if he'd never seen it before. Then all of a sudden, as he often did, he seemed to remember.

"Yes that!" Setting the old toolbox aside he went up on his hands and knees to look the map over. Pointing out several things here and there. "This you see is Valsa Docks." Indicating a place to the North East of where they were now. It sat along the coast line of the island, above the maze of sandbars and smaller landmasses that dotted the Western side of Rook island. "Now the Valsa Docks are to be avoided at all costs. It's an outpost you see. A point of contention between the pirates and the tribe. One or the other will have control of it, but regardless of who holds it you must understand that the other will come to reclaim it sooner or later. There are many such places scattered here and there as I've pointed out."

Seeing just how many places he'd pointed to and the many other places marked on the map, Daisy was not thrilled at the prospect of Jason out there all alone facing so much. What if he went into one of those outposts not knowing any better? The thought caused her gut to clench.

"Ah now here on the other hand." Earnhardt went on as if lecturing a room of students at a university. "This here is a safe place to go should one require the procurement of fundamental things." His long finger tapping the map lightly, marking a place much closer. In fact it looked like it was at the bottom of the slope just down from the plateau the Doc's house was built on.

"What is that?" She asked, leaning in for a better look.

"Ah...um, that is Tane's place." Floundering with the name at first. "His home as well as what passes for a general store, or rather the closest one I should say."

"General store?" The doubt in her voice clear.

Earnhardt nodded gravely. "Oh yes. It's where I get all the basics of living you know, well what I can not make myself. Which brings me to the point of showing you this little secret my girl."

Taking great care as he folded the map and tucked it safely back into the toolbox, closing the lid slowly. "I want you to know that should you ever find need of anything within this box it is yours to do with as you will." Patting the box as he looked around, his eyes lost in various thoughts. "Yes. Yours to use. One day." His voice growing softer. "If you need...it...that...is." He turned to look at her.

"Ok." Daisy nodded, biting her lower lip so she wouldn't start to cry. He seemed so lost right now and all she wanted to do was help him find his way back.

He smiled brightly. "Then it's settled. Our little secret." He shushed with a finger to his lips before crawling back under the table and putting everything back as it was.

Daisy was still trying to sort out a few things.

"So did you draw the map?" She asked, resting back on her hands.

He glanced at her as he was finishing up with the last board, his hands freezing with it held almost back in place. "Oh Heaven's no. I had it commissioned from a rather talented fellow. A courier as it were." Letting the board fall into place he came out from under the table and waved his hand around. "Traveled all over the island. A necessity in his line of work you understand. Quite good at making his deliveries promptly, rain or shine." He went quiet, a far off look in his red rimmed eyes. "Well he was until he was shot in Badtown over a poker game. Rotten luck." Then he brightened. "Wizard with drawing though, not that I have to tell you, as you've seen the map. His handiwork is without reproach."

She nodded, adjusting herself so she could draw her knees up to her chest, hugging her arms around them. "Why did you have the map made?"

He faltered at her question, his mouth working as if trying to form the right words. The whole time he looked around, starting to panic. "...I...Well..." He caught himself, bracing a hand across his chin, then took a slow breath. Nodding to himself before explaining. "I had intended to explore the island in greater detail you see. After the house was completed of course. In truth the very boat that I arrived upon still resides here. Itself hidden away, though not by my choice."

He was starting to ramble, but she didn't interrupt him. "Tidal surge you see. Perhaps some off shore quake or other. Not two...perhaps three years after my arrival. Waves washed most of the sandbars and the surrounding areas completely underwater for weeks. Drove my boat into a cave, which I was to learn later was only the smallest part of a much larger system that traverses under our very feet you see. Well the rising water level combined with the funneled pressure the cave provided drove the boat deep into the ground so that the poor thing will never see the horizon again I fear." Plopping down on the floor to sit, he brushed his hands down the front of his shirt. "So you see after that and what with all the other troubles I soon learned this island contains I ah...Well I decided it prudent to remain here." Gesturing to the greenhouse. "Where its safe."

"Safe huh?" The idea of a greenhouse being some sort of bulwark against the world seemed out of place. The thing was mostly glass after all.

"Yes." He was very serious now. "I have to keep you safe Agnes. No more accidents. Never again."

Daisy caught the pain lacing his voice and tried to turn things to another subject. "Explain something to me. Why do you have all that money? I mean I saw a lot of different kinds, not just American, but that's not it. I mean on this island what use is money?"

The old doctor smiled, happy to explain for his little Agnes. Anything for her. "You see, despite its apparent removal from civilization, Rook island has a very thriving economy. Locals as well as members of the tribe offer all manner of goods. Fruits, vegetables, animal skins, meat, hand crafted items. They are quite the industrious people when they want to be. However you will find that though they do partake in trading goods for goods or services ect, they will also include transactions of monetary value. Money to be succinct."

"So like this Tane guy, you pay him for what he has?"

"Precisely." Clapping his hands together once at her question. He truly enjoyed talking with Agnes. He'd missed her so very much. "Now the necessity for the currency is simple. The pirates have the market cornered on items that one simply can not find on Rook island otherwise. Items they procure from the victims of their dreadful work."

It all snapped into place for Daisy then. The pirates took people hostage, then sold them into slavery or ransomed them. It wasn't just that though. They also took everything the people owned. Phones, computers, tablets, clothing, everything. She'd seen piles of luggage back in Vaas's compound and the convoy she'd escaped from had been loaded down with suitcases and trunks heading for who knows where. So the pirates were like a big distribution market for off island goods. Jesus they used everything. Nothing went to waste. They sold you, then they sold your stuff. Suddenly the secret the Doc had shared with her took on a whole new level of importance.

"Thank you." Daisy said, tilting her head so it rested on one knee.

Earnhardt scratched his temple and seemed confused. "For what?"

"Sharing your secret with me." Grinning at him, knowing he'd get it soon, just like he always did.

"Oh...Oh!" Turning his head to look under the table before looking back at her. "Anything for you Agnes." Smiling, truly smiling at her.

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Now...

Stepping inside the greenhouse she marveled at how fast the plants Dr Earnhardt had been growing were taking over the place. The inside of the building was a tangle of roots and vines, mixed with flowers of all sorts, many of which she had no clue about their names. Then the various smells washed over her. Crinkling her nose, she wondered just which plants were giving off what smell, but decided there was no way she could tell or even really pick out just one amid the overlapping aroma of nature bundled in too small a place.

Crouching down she made short work of getting at the old toolbox where it was hidden under the floor. She took two tight bundles of cash, the knife, and the map. Once that was done she put things back just like she'd found them and left the greenhouse. Back outside she took in a huge lung full of fresh air and was quite happy to be out of that oppressively hot place. How on earth the old guy had stayed in there all the time was beyond her.

A little grin tugged at the corners of her mouth as a sudden thought struck her. "High as a kite, that's how."

She stuffed the cash in the opposite pocket she had the .38 rounds in, then slid the pocketknife into her back pocket. The map she held onto as she walked down the steep path that would take her to the makeshift gate of sorts that marked the edge of the house's yard as it were. Not even a gate really, just a space in the make shift fence that ran the length of the grounds that didn't fall away to sheer cliffs. Just on the other side of that truly sad fence, the thing was made of wooden slats and wire for God's sake, sat a very old and very ugly pickup truck.

Daisy stood looking at it and had to wonder if the company that made the thing actually had a shit brown color option, because the damn truck looked for all the world like a turd with wheels if you asked her. It was some sort of knock off thing at that because she was pretty sure there was no such company as the Fevy Motors. It was like somebody decided to rip off Ford and Chevy at the same time and all they could come up with was a truck that even Nissan would call a compact. If Grant had ever laid eyes on this thing he'd have called it an over grown golf cart for sure.

Thinking of Grant didn't hurt any more. It had been sucker punch painful for weeks, but slowly as time went by she'd gotten over that loss way back at the start of all this. Now, months later his absence was something she could deal with and not break into tears. She'd loved him and most likely always would in some small way. He'd never done anything wrong by her and then his death left him with a sparkling record so yeah, the next guy she was with had a real hard road ahead of him. After all he was going to be compared to Grant Brody and not many guys could measure up to him in the first place.

Smiling at his memory she shook her head and laughed at the truck. "Babe you would have hated this thing."

Walking around to the driver's door she wondered if it would start. The grass had grown so high around it that as she pulled the door open it pushed the green stalks down. There was a radiating heat from inside the cab and she went ahead and rolled the window down, knowing that was the best form of AC she was going to get. She slid behind the wheel, the cracked seat cover making crinkling sounds as she settled herself. She put the map in the sun visor overhead and then felt around under the seat for the keys. Sweat was already trickling down her sides and she could feel it on her face. After a few more passes with her fingers, hoping nothing creepy crawly was under there, she came up with the keys.

"Ok turd-mobile don't let me down." Daisy muttered as she slid the key into the ignition. She added a silent prayer and then turned the key. The old truck sputtered and then nothing. She tried again, getting another sputter and then nothing.

"Don't do this to me you piece of...Ok Daisy calm down. It's going to work." She chided herself, leaning her head on the steering wheel. "It will work."

A third turn of the key and the sputter started up, but this time it drug on and finally turned into a jostling shake as the engine caught. The thing didn't purr, more like it had a hacking cough, but the truck was running. Daisy gave a triumphant shout and drummed her hands on the dash.

"Way to go turd-mobile!" She exclaimed joyfully.

If the fuel gauge was right, which was a big if, then she had about half a tank. Should be plenty for where she was going to go. Then a sudden thought occurred to her. Switching the truck off she leaned back against the seat and stared out at the island stretching off into the distance before her. Way down there at the bottom of the slope, down a very twisting dirt road, was the rest of Rook Island. The place that had taken everything away from her, that had changed her for the rest of her life. The pirates and that damn tribe were down there and she hated both groups in equal measure. Even if she didn't run into any of them she'd still have to contend with the locals. There was no guarantee that any of them would be better considering how out of place she'd be. Daisy was pretty sure there weren't that many blonde American women running around the island and she wasn't sure how the locals themselves felt about outsiders. It wasn't like she had anything to go off of after all. She'd either been held in captivity or hiding in a cave almost the entire time she'd been here. Who's to say the locals didn't hate outsiders? Not to mention what could happen to a woman alone in a place that had no laws at all. Out here it was dog eat dog as far as she could figure it.

"Damn." Gripping the wheel she tapped her fingers lightly and pondered some things.

Should she try getting food on her own? She had the gun, could she shoot something? She'd seen pigs rooting around by the stream that ran down the plateau's North side. Maybe she could shoot one of them and then...just...gut it...

She suppressed a gag. "Yeah no. Not that desperate yet."

Tough though she might be, Daisy admitted to herself that she didn't want to even imagine killing and gutting a pig, at least not quite yet. Besides the sound of the gun might attract attention and she sure as hell wasn't going to try to kill one of the oinkers with the knife or machete. There weren't any sort of plants up here she could eat either, well none she knew of that is. So it looked like her only choice was that general store place Earnhardt had told her about. It looked like this guy Tane was the best bet to try and get more food. After all Earnhardt would have warned her about going there if it was dangerous and he hadn't. Still though, if this guy sold things then there might be other people there and she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention.

Still tapping her fingers she wondered aloud,"Hmm, what to do?"

Well she could wait till dark and then head down there. Maybe that would lessen the chance of her running into trouble. Maybe this Tane guy wouldn't mind a late customer, especially when she paid him for his trouble. She was sure she had more than enough cash to make it worth his while.

"Sounds like a plan girl." She said to herself before sliding out of the truck and shutting the door. She left the window down so it wouldn't turn into an oven again, well not more than it would any way that is.

Heading back up the trail she wiped sweat from her face with her sleeve. Absently she wondered about how much she'd started talking to herself lately. She'd never done that before, it had started to just happen. Maybe it was her way of dealing with being alone. Hearing a voice, even her own, might be something she craved. She was sure it wasn't a good sign, after all wasn't talking to yourself sort of like a hand in hand sign of being nuts?

"It's only bad when you start to answer yourself." She quipped with a chuckle.

She drew up short and stood still for a few seconds. Ok that was not even remotely funny at all. Swallowing thickly she rubbed her arms with both hands, her feet moving her forward again as she headed towards the cave and its cool darkness. Just keep it together she thought to herself, just keep everything together. You can do this. You will do this.

"I can do this." Her voice echoed back at her once she was inside the cave. It was a very pitiful greeting.

She spent the rest of the day trying to lose herself in one of the books Earnhardt had lent them from his collection back when she and Liza were the only ones in the cave. She'd read them all of course, some several times, but there really wasn't much else to do. So she lay on top of her sleeping bag, inside her bright orange two man tent while reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King. It really wasn't her sort of book, but she had to admit the idea of the Gunslinger character had this dark romantic quality to it. A knight from a dying world who refused to back down from anything. Daisy could respect that kind of guy. The Gunslinger was just as ruthless as the villains he faced and most definitely was not your typical good guy by any stretch of the definition.

Despite how much she found herself liking the character, she couldn't read all day, it was giving her a headache. Setting the book aside she stared up at the tent's apex and wondered why she bothered with the thing at all. It wasn't like she was exposed to the elements inside the cave. Her fingers trailed down the closest wall, feeling the water proof material. She felt safer in here though for some reason. The admission made her feel silly, but it was true. Being inside the small space gave her some feeling of comfort that being exposed to the inside of the cave just couldn't, not with her being alone now.

As the hours of sunlight passed she ate when she was hungry. Drank when she was thirsty. Napped when she felt like it. Just existing while she waited for night to finally arrive. Now and then she would wonder when the bleakness of it all would finally be too much to bear? Those sorts of thoughts always ended up with her holding the revolver in her hands, just touching it. Memorizing every part of it by sight and feel as she turned it this way and that. She'd only fired a gun once at a range in LA to finish that self defense class she'd taken one summer. That had been a revolver too, but a bigger one than this. She couldn't remember what kind it had been, but she was fairly sure it had a lot more power than this .38, so she was pretty sure she could handle this one. She hadn't test fired it yet, just like her thinking back at the truck, she hadn't wanted to draw attention to herself. This small gun had the power to take life...or grant peace.

"No." Setting her lips tight, she put the gun down beside her on the sleeping bag. Then turned on her side and tried to let another nap take her.

She woke with a start, the tendrils of a dream licking at her consciousness, but this one she couldn't remember thankfully. Taking up the gun she crawled out of the tent and looked to the entrance of the cave. Darkness met her eyes and she knew it was time to get going. Tucking the gun at the small of her back she pulled her shirt down to cover it, then pushed her sleeves up since there was no sun to worry about.

Minutes later she was back in the truck and had gotten it going on the second try. Her hand was half way to the switch for the headlights when she caught herself. If firing off a gun was a bad idea, then somebody seeing headlights winding down the slope would be just as bad wouldn't it? Leaning forward she looked up through the dirty windshield and saw the moon in the almost cloudless sky. It wasn't full, but it was bright enough that it set the colors of the world to ghostly hues of their former glory. Casting her eyes down the slope she thought about the road and felt pretty sure she could navigate it without the headlights. Daisy figured she could try at the very least and if not then the headlights would have to come on.

"Ok girl. Now or never." Giving herself a tiny pep talk.

Fighting the old transmission she got the truck rolling and began the bouncy descent down the slope, doing her best to keep the thing on the dirt road. What she wouldn't give for some power steering right about now, she thought. She came around a turn a little too fast and nearly ran into some goats that seemed to be having a meeting right in the middle of the road. "Shit!" She hissed through her teeth as she cranked the wheel hard to the right, the goats bleated in surprise and darted off. The truck bucked off the road, dipping down into the tall grass as the tires tore up the ground. Daisy fought with the wheel for all she was worth and managed to get the truck back on the road, even if it was sitting sideways now. She threw it into neutral and sat with her foot pressing down on the brake as hard as she could, trying to get her breathing under control. In the distance she heard the goats bleating somewhere out of sight. Then and there she made a vow that if things got really bad she'd shoot the goats before the pigs. They deserved it.

After a few more minutes to settle her nerves she got back under way and made it all the way down the slope with no more surprises. Once the ground leveled out she put the truck in park and pulled the map down. Taking a look at it she figured out where she was roughly and then worked out just where the Tane guy's place should be. Seemed simple enough. Drive along the road until the water came in from her left, then turn and follow the beach North and keep an eye out for something that looked like a house or a store or, well something not the beach. Hopefully she would just find the place she wanted first and not some random local's. She wanted to just get some supplies and get back. Nothing more, nothing less.

She could already feel her pulse racing, the anxious jitters that caused her eyes to keep darting around. She felt exposed out here away from the cave, like she was already in trouble. Somebody could have seen her coming down the slope since it was so bright out tonight after all. They could be on their way right now. On their way to get her and take her back to a cage...or a temple.

Her fingers held the steering wheel in a death grip and it took everything in her not to spin the truck around and throttle it right back up the slope and go hide in her tent. She wanted to so bad, but she couldn't give into that. She refused to hide up there till she died. That wasn't what she was going to do, it wasn't who she was.

"Get yourself together." Daisy commanded herself sternly.

Purposely she put the truck in gear and drove away from the slope, her eyes darting to the rear view mirror now and then to watch it grow smaller as the distance grew. She heard the waves before she saw them and it wasn't any time at all before the road gave way to a wide sandbar with the water lapping at both sides. Turning left she drove along the white sand beach, thankful for the smoother going compared to the dirt road. In a surprisingly short time she saw something in the distance, an outline that was out of place. Sharp edges soon defined a large shack with a tin roof and a wrap around porch. As Daisy drew closer she saw that there was light coming from inside the place, seeping through the cracks of the closed shutters on the windows. Once she was right on top of the place she slowed the truck down to a crawl and then let it come to a stop beside an old jeep parked up next to the shack. She cut the engine, sure to take the key with her as she stepped out.

The place was built pretty sturdy and out of actual lumber. The porch was a lot bigger on this side of the place and had several coolers and even an old freezer pressed against the wall. There were chairs strewn about in the sand and on the porch as well as tables to go with them. It looked for all the world like a run down beach bar to Daisy. In fact all it was missing was some hanging lights and it was ready to go.

The sound of a screen door screeching open drew her attention and made her heart jump into her throat. Before she could do anything or even think to reach for the gun a glaring light blinded her. Instinctively her hands went up to cover her eyes.

"Who's there?" A man's voice asked loudly.

By his accent Daisy guessed he was a local, at least she hoped that was all he was. She tried to see past the light to the owner of the voice, but that was not happening.

"Hi uh...Listen I'm looking for a guy named Tane." She said in what she hoped was a friendly enough tone. "I was told he had a store or something like a store around here."

"Little late for shopping." The voice said from behind the light.

Lowering her hands, Daisy turned her face away from the glare and focused on the ground a few feet away, letting her eyes adjust. "Yeah it is. Look I'm sorry I just need to find this Tane guy ok. So if you're not him can you maybe point me in the right direction?"

There was a pause and then the voice again. "Who told you?"

"What?"

The voice was calm, but wary. "Who told you Tane had a store?"

Daisy didn't see any harm in telling the truth at this point. Either she was in trouble here or she wasn't. "Dr Earnhardt."

The light went out and Daisy turned to see an older man with dark skin standing in the doorway of what looked like a house from what she could see inside. In one hand he held a flashlight, in the other a shotgun aimed down at the floor. The man had a full head of close cropped black hair and laugh lines so deep they could have been etched into his face with a chisel. He walked towards her, tucking the flashlight into the waist of his pants. The old green shirt he wore looked so thread bare she wondered how it hadn't fallen apart before now. He stopped a few feet way and looked her over, not stepping down from the porch. His face was friendly and his eyes matched the sudden smile the spread over his features.

"Doc E huh?" He asked warmly. "Yeah you don't look like you're from round here." Cocking a thumb at his chest. "I'm Tane."

Daisy sagged with relief. "Oh thank God." She said.

"You must be Agnes." Tane said with surety.

Daisy caught herself before she corrected him. "Yeah."

Tane nodded, then turned to prop the shotgun against the wall. "Guess if you're here, then bad things up at the house, huh?" Turning back to her with a bit of a frown on his lips. "While back I saw smoke from up there so I was going to go up an check. See if Doc E was alright ya know. Then I saw all those Rakyat fellas coming down the way an figured that couldn't be good. Since they looked mighty serious an all."

Daisy wiped a hand across her brow and nodded, her other resting on her hip. "Yeah it wasn't any good at all." Flashes of Dr Earnhardt's body and the sound of flies filling her mind.

Tane nodded in understanding. "Guess you came to put things right up at the place then?"

She was confused as she looked at the older man where he stood on the porch. "What do you mean put things right?"

"Way I figure it, you came to the island cause Doc E ain't with us no more. Passed on ya know. You being his kid an all, so what was his is yours. Figure you wanna do right by him an all that."

Daisy grasped his meaning and fell into his assumption quickly enough. After all it gave her a good cover story. "Yeah...I, ah...When I didn't hear from him I came out to check on him and...Well it's like you said." Running a hand down her arm as she avoided Tane's eyes. "It wasn't any good at all."

Tane shook his head, his frown deepening. "He was a good fella Doc E. Bit on an off ya know, but good just the same yeah." Bending over he pulled up one pants leg and showed his calf to Daisy. "He set my leg right after a shark laid into me. I was fishing drunk and fell outta the boat. Barely made it back into the thing before one of'em took a liking to me. Damn near pulled me back in, but my mates got hold of me and then got me back here. One went to get Doc E an he set this right so I didn't lose it."

She could see the ugly welted scars that encircled his lower leg and winced. "Sounds like him...like dad I mean." The lie a bitter pill for her to swallow, but she felt it was something she had to do.

Tane stood up and clapped his hands together, the frown gone from his face. He looked at her hopefully. "So you're the Agnes he was always going on about. His little girl. Tell truth I thought he made you up. Doc E was as off as he was on ya know." Laughing a little bit at some memory or other. "Yeah, but I liked him. So you need something from me then, huh?"

"Yes I do." She sighed with relief. "Supplies. Food and water mostly, but I wouldn't mind looking through whatever you got for anything really. I might see something else I want."

Tane grinned broadly and reached a hand down towards her. "Come on up Agnes. I'll set you up with a drink an then we can go through what I got, see what catches your eye, yeah?"

Accepting his hand and starting up the steps to the porch, Daisy felt hope for the first time in a long time. She was talking with an actual person and things felt like there just might be some better times on their way. "Sounds like a plan to me."