Sink Or Swim
Chapter 36
Mac stood near the helicopter, near Naomi's corpse, and near where Sayid was praying.
"Did Ben ever mention knowing anyone off the island? You're sure of that?" Jack questioned.
"No," Juliet answered.
"Look, this is real simple. Do you know where he is or don't you?" Miles asked.
"What do you want with him?" Jack answered.
"I want to locate him," Miles answered as Sayid got up and walked toward Naomi's corpse.
The people who hired me told me his name's Benjamin Linus, I don't know anything else. They gave me the picture, that's all they told me," Miles explained.
"They told me "find him," and for what they're paying me I don't need to know anything else, do you?"
"Okay, you want Ben. He's with Locke, and your friend—" Jack explained, as Sayid knelt and closed Naomi's eyes, pulling the blanket over her face.
"Charlotte," Miles stated.
"Charlotte. John's got her too. And we know where they're headed," Jack told him.
"Locke's the guy who killed Naomi. Give me back my gun, Shepherd," he told him.
"You want your gun back? I want answers," Jack told him. "You don't trust me, I don't trust you."
"You're supposed to be dead. But am I asking a million questions? No. We both have the same problem, this Locke guy," Miles told them.
"What is there to ask Miles? We were on a plane, it crashed, we survived, and now we'd like to get off this island," Mac told him.
"Even if Locke has your friend, you can't just waltz in there and grab her. They're armed," Kate told him.
"Well how 'bout that? So are we! So why don't we move out?" Miles questioned.
"You're not going anywhere," Sayid told him. He walked up to Frank. "Will that helicopter fly?"
"It's what she does," Frank told him.
"Then you can take me to your ship," Sayid told him.
"Sayid, wait a second," Jack told him.
"We did call these people to get us off this island, didn't we?" Sayid asked. "Well?" Sayid questioned Frank.
"We burned a lot of fuel coming in, it can't carry much weight. I'll take three of you," Frank told him.
"In case you zoned out while you were tweezing your goatee, one of these yahoos took Charlotte prisoner," Miles told him.
"I can bring her back, safely. And if I do, will you take me to the ship?" Sayid questioned.
"Absolutely, you bring Charlotte back safe, and I will take you off this island," Frank told him.
Mac walked into the hotel room in Washington, undoing her coat. "You've been quiet the whole drive back from the cemetery," Mac told her husband.
Sayid closed and the locked the door behind him, undoing his coat. "It is nothing against you, I assure you," he informed her kissing her. "You said that you had broken up with this man how long before the crash?"
"Right after the girls' were killed. Why?" she questioned. "And I told you it was a mistake, on both of our parts."
"It did not look like he thinks it's over," Sayid informed her.
Mac looked at him. "Sayid, if you're going to doubt me when I tell you that it's over, then we need to go our separate ways right now."
Sayid touched her face. "I believe you, but I do not believe Mason believes that it is over."
"Well it is and it has been for a long time. The last time I talked with him before the crash was after I decided to forgo a trial for Robert. Jordan and he both tried to talk me out of it. I don't know why he was there when we returned, and I certainly don't know why he showed up to the cemetery or how he even knew I was there," she told him.
Sayid kissed her. "I believe you," he told her, kissing behind her ear. "I need to go out for a while. Will you be alright?"
"Sayid what are you planning on doing?" Mac questioned.
"I won't be long," he told her, putting his coat back on.
Mac sat with Kate, Jack and Juliet, eating a piece of fruit; she looked up when Sayid approached the group.
"Take a look at this," Sayid told Jack, handing him a picture of Desmond and Penny. "Naomi had it with her. She was looking for Desmond. Whatever their real agenda is, it's clear they're not sharing it. Maybe Desmond can shed some light on this," he told them.
"How long would it take to get to the beach and back?" Jack asked.
"A couple of hours," Juliet answered as Kate looked at Jack.
"You mind?" Jack asked.
"Anything I can do to help," she told him, getting ready to leave.
Jack and Mac stand going after Sayid. "Sayid, so how are we going to do this?" Jack asked, as Sayid paused for them to catch up.
"You're not the best candidate for this kind of mission," Sayid told him.
"And what kind of mission is that?" Jack asked, laughing.
Mac glanced at Sayid before he answered. "I'm going to make Locke release Charlotte. And I'm going to do it without any bloodshed," he responded.
"As opposed to the way I'd do it," Jack stated.
"The last time you encountered him, you put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger," Sayid told him, as Jack huffed apparently offended.
"That isn't exactly diplomatic skills Jack," Mac stated.
"She's right, and you know it Jack," Sayid told him as Mile approached.
"Hey, Jarrah, you think you're going after Charlotte without me?" Miles asked.
"Of course not," Sayid informed him.
"Oh, well good," Miles answered, surprised. "Are you coming to Grayson?"
Mac shook her head. "No, I think I'll wait here."
"Is there anything else?" Sayid questioned, smiling slightly.
"Yeah, give me my gun back," Miles informed him.
"We leave in 10 minutes," Sayid stated, walking away.
Mac followed him. "Ok, so you're letting Miles go with you. What's your plan?"
"My plan?" he asked. "Why do you assume I have a plan?"
"Please Sayid don't try and play that game with me. I'm not arguing with you about accompanying you, so please at least give me the common courtesy of trusting me. You know, this worrying thing is a two way street," Mac informed him.
Sayid smiled, touching her face. "I know. Believe me when I say that I do have a plan and it's to find out what their real agenda is. And, thank you for knowing I did not want you to come with me," he told her kissing her softly. "I noticed you eating, is the morning sickness gone?"
"Not all the way," she answered. "We should get back to the group, six minutes have passed," she informed him walking with him.
Mac handed him his pack, glancing at Kate as she and Jack walked up. "Hey Kate," she greeted.
"Hey, you got room for one more?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, she gets a gun," Miles stated.
"Gun's a last resort, Kate," Sayid answered, quietly.
"You give Locke that same speech?" Kate asked.
"Hey. Let's move out," Miles told them.
Sayid squeezed Mac's hand as he departed with the others. Mac walked with Jack to the helicopter to grab water.
"How are you feeling?" Jack questioned.
"Ok, thanks," she answered, nodding at Frank who was sitting by the helicopter.
"Hey, this guy Sayid, where's he from?" Frank asked her and Jack.
Jack and Mac turn to face him. "Iraq," Jack answered.
"Iraq? He's just going to go and work everything out? What was he, a diplomat?" Frank asked.
Jack and Mac both share a glance then a laugh. "No. No, he was a torturer," Jack answered, walking away.
Frank looked surprised. "He's kidding right?"
Mac shook her head, taking a sip of water. "No he's not."
Sayid knocked on the apartment door, double checking the address on the paper.
The man sighed opening the door, holding a beer bottle. "What do you want?"
"We need to have a talk, Mason," Sayid told him, pushing his way in, closing it behind him.
"I didn't invite you in, you're trespassing," Mason told him.
"Considering that you are stalking my wife, I wouldn't consider this as trespassing as much as a friendly warning," Sayid told him, pushing him against the wall. "If I ever see you anywhere near her again, it will be the last thing you ever do. Do you understand?"
Mason took a breath. "I wasn't stalking her; we were in a relationship before the crash."
"A relationship that ended two years prior to the crash, isn't that right?" Sayid asked the man.
"Yes, but I didn't want it to end, she was the one that ended it. It was because of the trauma of her daughters' murders, she felt guilty and responsible. I thought after surviving a crash," he started to explain.
"What that she would run into your arms when she saw you again?" Sayid questioned. "It's over, it's been over. She told me about her daughters, there death, her time in the Army, her abusive marriage. But she did not mention you once that should tell you something. If you were so important to her, then she would have told me," Sayid told him, holding his neck tighter. "I promised on that island, I would protect her from any more pain and heartache, and I take that promise to heart," he told the other man hitting him in the gut. "You are never going to bother her again. Understood?"
"Yes," he told him.
"Good, make sure you don't," Sayid told him, leaving.
Mac looked at Jack. "Jack," she said to get his attention to Juliet coming over the ridge, Desmond right behind her, carrying a rifle.
Desmond stopped seeing the helicopter. "Well…look at that," he said smiling.
Jack handed Desmond the picture. "Naomi was carrying this."
"What's this about?" he asked, no one in particular.
Mac glanced at Daniel and Frank. "We've been trying to find that out ourselves, Des," Mac told him.
Desmond walked up to Frank. "Hey. I'm going to ask you one last time. Why was Naomi carrying this picture of me?"
"Look, man, you gotta understand something. She was senior management. It's not like we hung around the cafeteria together. She stayed on her own," Frank answered.
"Look, Naomi told me you people were hired by her!" he yelled, pointing at Penny in the picture. "So you look me right in the eye and tell me you've never seen or heard of Penelope Widmore."
Mac sees the glances between Frank and Daniel. Frank looked at Desmond. "Sorry."
"Fine, you don't want to tell me the truth; I'll find someone who will. See when that takes off," he told him, pointing to the helicopter. "I'm on it."
"He's back," Juliet told them seeing Sayid come over the ridge. She stood up followed by Mac and Jack. Charlotte appearing behind him.
Mac hugged Sayid, kissing his cheek.
"Where's Kate?" Jack asked.
"She decided to stay," Sayid answered, kissing Mac.
"What happened to Miles?" Frank questioned.
"I traded him," Sayid simply answered.
"Traded him?" Frank asked.
"I promised you Charlotte, here she is," he responded.
"You cheated," Frank told him.
"Did I?" Sayid challenged.
"Yes, you did. Lucky for you that guy's nothing but a pain in my ass," Frank told him.
Daniel approached Charlotte, putting an arm around her.
"Hey," Charlotte greeted him.
"You all right?" Daniel questioned.
"Yeah," she answered.
"All right, that gives us room for one more. Charlotte?" Frank asked.
"Go back? With all the fun I'm having here? No, I've got work to do," Charlotte replayed, chuckeling.
"Seat's yours if you want it, Daniel," Frank offered.
"I... no, thank you. I think I should probably just stay with Charlotte," Daniel answered.
"All right," Frank responded.
"Hey, Frank. Frank?" Daniel called quietly. "Just one thing. Just be sure that you follow the same exact bearing that we came in on, no matter what. By that, I mean no matter what. Just — just stay on it."
"Roger that," he answered, as Jack picked up a rifle and handed it to Sayid.
"Be careful," Jack warned.
"I don't have to talk you out of coming?" Sayid questioned.
"As much as I like helicopter rides, I think you got this one under control," Jack informed him.
Juliet came over. "Why don't you take Mac along with you?"
Mac glanced at her. "You sure it's ok?"
Juliet nodded. "Shouldn't be a problem."
"We've got our one more," Sayid told Frank. "Wish us luck," Sayid told Jack.
"Good luck. Send me a postcard," Jack told him.
Mac glanced up as Sayid came through the hotel room door. "You care to tell me where you were?"
"Taking care of something," he acknowledged.
"Sayid," Mac responded in her warning tone.
"I paid a visit to Mason, he shouldn't be a bother anymore," he reported.
"You went to Mason's?" Mac questioned, standing up.
Sayid nodded. "I made it perfectly clear he needs to stay away from you," he told her, kissing her.
Mac nodded. "I love you."
"As do I," he answered.