Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of The Lost World, nor do I own the show, which I fell in love with years ago.

Warning! There are mentions of dark activities in this chapter.

Forgive for any Grammatical errors.

Chapter 5

The sound of the gunshot wasn't too far off, John swore it could only be a couple of miles away. He had no intention of slowing down his pace. Marguerite could be endangered. If anything happened to her, he doesn't know what he'll do.

The others hurried behind him; Veronica did her best to stay aware of their surroundings. It was clear Roxton couldn't, he was too caught up on finding Marguerite. 'This woman is going to be the death of us.'

Within about fifteen minutes of running and speed walking, a bit down in the distance, John could make out figures slowly trekking towards them. Two individuals looked as if they were helping an injured person. At a halt, they stared as the figures fully came into clear sight and John swore his heart fell when he saw Marguerite being half carried. He began walking towards the figures, who he recognized as James and JC. His paste quickened until he was before them. He stared alarming worry.

Marguerite's hair was haphazard, out of its usual braid. Her clothes dirty and torn. Her blouse was half buttoned up, missing a few buttons. She had bruises on her face, a dark purple circle around her neck and with her arms hanging off the men's shoulder he could see dark circles also around her wrist as if she was bound. "What happened?" John moved to take her from the men and an unfamiliar stench hit him as he held her close. It was clear she was barely alert.

"Apes, those hairy damn creatures, we found her a few miles down the path. They were…" James tried to catch his breath.

"One had her over its shoulder…" JC jumped in.

"We lost Andrew," James jumped in showing utter fear and dismay.

"Ape-men, but they don't usually travel this close to the treehouse," Veronica spoke confused.

Challenger quickly checked Marguerite's neck for her pulse. He sighed. "Her pulse is weak. We need to get her back to the treehouse."

John swiftly scooped her up in his arms, her head lull onto his chest. They hurried back to the treehouse. Veronica took the front, Ned the rear, and George stayed close to John, while the men straggled along behind them, exhausted. They had got the other men to pack up camp, quickly informed half-conscious Marguerite of their demands, and untied her.

JC had a bad feeling stirring in his guts. 'There was no way this plan was going to work,' he thought. 'Not after Marguerite was examined by the scientist. He may not be a real doctor, but you had to be blind not to see what's in front of you.' He thought for sure the plan was made in too much of a haste, neglecting all the obvious evidence. The only way it might work is if Marguerite denies the beliefs of the others. The bruises throughout her entire body, the scent and sign of fluids expelled on her body. JC did not participate but he saw the bruises, how they held her down and continually struck her. The marks on her legs and hips. He tried warning James, telling him to rethink the plan, but even he knew it was too late somehow. Especially from the sound of the gunshot ringing through the jungle.

James had instructed the five other men to continue to the cave where they were told had many shiny stones. The native they had befriend informed them of the stones, showing them what he had retrieved, but he needed help mining them all. The native also managed to explain the cave was close to a raptor's nest and his people dare not go there. JC contemplated how he would have rather be there heading to the cave than what he was doing right now. Fear consumed him as he observed John carrying Marguerite. There was nothing fiercer that a man's love for a woman and a mother's love for her child and there was proof both before him. JC looked around, wondering if there was still a way out of this mess, but he knew if he ran right now, it was a sure proof of guilt. So, he continued walking to the treehouse, watching as Roxton held the woman he obviously cared deeply for, close. Moving rapidly with such purpose yet cradling her so delicately.

Treehouse…..

John took Marguerite immediately to her room, laying her down gently on the makeshift bed. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her, but George insisted he find out the full story of what happened.

"You think they're lying?" John questioned his eyes focused on the heiress.

Challenger shrugged not wanting to say anything prematurely. "I'm not sure, but if the apes are scavenging around here, we need to know."

"We can talk to them about that later, right now it's Marguerite I'm concerned about."

"And she is in well capable hand," Veronica piped in as she brought a pale of warm water and cloths. "Let Challenger do what he can and when we're all done, we'll come and get you and you can stay as long as your heart contents," Veronica smiled gently, stroking the hunter's arm.

"There is nothing you can do for her now, anyways," the scientist added.

He sighed and reluctantly left. He gave Marguerite a lasting look then head up the stairs.

Veronica and George exchanged worried gazes, then got to work.

Marguerite had fallen fully unconscious when they were minutes away from the treehouse. George saw something positive in the situation. Marguerite was a stubborn woman and would insist she was fine, once she wasn't bleeding, but being unconscious gave him full ability to care for her without any nonsensical insistence that she was fine.

"Ape-men did this?" Veronica gasped. She had unbuttoned what buttons was left of the heiress's blouse. Her camisole was fully torn down the middle, almost as if someone took a knife to it. It was barely covering her breasts, which were red and bruised.

George had an awful dread in his stomach. He did his best not to connect gazes with the jungle girl and to respect Marguerite delicate situation. They continue removing articles of clothes, covering what they had already examined, and the awful, obvious truth was confirmed when the examination arrived at her legs.

Marguerite knickers were gone. She had bruises on her hips, nails dug into her flesh. There were also bruises on her thighs, but what truly confirmed everything to George was the fluids mixed with blood between her legs. He immediately felt sick but did his bed to hold himself together. He was sure Veronica didn't fully understand the function of ejaculations from a man or possibly even the sight of it.

George was quickly pulled out of his battling thoughts by the blonde woman's voice. "Challenger, I…I don't think Marguerite was hurt by ape-men. Humans did this. She was…" she couldn't even bring herself to say the words.

Challenger looked at the young woman realizing his underestimation of her knowledge, knowing what she was trying to say, and his face fell. "Yes…"

"Izzy." They both heard. Their eyes fell on the unconscious woman.

"Izzy," Marguerite hissed again.

"Whose Izzy?"

George shrugged his Shoulder. "Izzy is a girl's name, short for Isabelle, Isabella, or Elizabeth. Marguerite never spoke of an Izzy, yet again Marguerite rarely speak of her past."

"Yes, there is very little we know of her. Oh God, do you think it was JC and James who did this?"

"For their sakes, I hope not. John will surely kill them when he learns of this."

The two once again exchanged apprehensive looks.

Main room….

"So, you found her?" John asked, trying not to come off as suspicious, yet mildly failing.

James nodded as he sipped a glass of water. "One of those freakish creatures had her over the shoulder."

"I doubt she was even able to put up a fight," JC explained.

"You mean the ape-men didn't attack her?" Ned asked, more for curiosity than confusion.

"As far as we know, we just saved her from the ape-men. You're going to have to talk to Marguerite when she wakes," James declared ready to shut the questions down.

The questions seized when John fell into thought, but quickly arose once more. "What were you guys doing up so early?" He watched them impatiently waiting for answers. He observed as JC look at James nervously.

They had not discussed this, and you would think it should have been obviously spoken of between the two.

"Why? You never cared before?" James declared not liking the idea of being challenged or questioned.

John crossed his arms over his chest. "I never had reasons before, but now that my… Marguerite showed up half dead."

"Don't exaggerate, she's not half dead. And you know what, I don't appreciate this interrogation, your tone. We saved your friend and all we've experienced is suspicion. I don't know, how about thank you instead of all this BS"

"Why so upset James, all I asked you was why you guys were up so early." Roxton rose walking toward the man.

"James, just tell him," JC chimed in.

Roxton and Malone looked from James to JC, then back to James, waiting.

James looked at JC hard, almost daringly. "J…"

"Just tell them why we truly came here, not no hog wash about adventure." There was exhaustion in JC's voice.

The men could see the clenching of Jaws as their eyes stuck to James. James's fingers clenched into fists, the veins visibly showing in his arms. He let out a breath, but still refused to utter a word.

"Fine. We came here looking for treasure, riches."

James suddenly felt a relief washed over him. He looked at JC, doing his best to hide the smile that was edging on the corner of his lips.

"What?" Malone looked at them, perplexed, but somehow, it didn't seem all that surprising.

"We're fortune hunters, we have a crew few miles from here, mining a cave." James sat back down, finishing the glass of water.

"So, it isn't just the three of you guys, there are more?" Roxton inquired somewhat taken aback.

"Yes, about five more men, all experienced treasure hunters, world travelers," JC explained.

"So that's where you guys been going off to," Malone pondered out loud.

"We didn't hurt Marguerite, I've known her for years, I would like to say we are somewhat friends. I'll admit she wasn't always fund of me, especially with the advices I gave her husband, but I would never do anything to hurt her," James lied as he gawked at the empty glass.

"We truly hope she's okay, and we'll do anything that is necessary to help. We were doing our best to get her back to the treehouse. She was in real bad shape when we found her," JC spoke adding to James's presentation of care.

Although there was a sincerity in JC that John evidently noticed, which put him on the fence that they were involved in what had happened to Marguerite. But he couldn't help but shake the suspicious feeling. His guard was up and refuse to go down even with their explanation. Something just didn't feel right. "Yes, well I hope so too." John sat somewhat frustrated. "Why the hell did she leave the treehouse. With no protection?"

"Well, could it be she was going after the stuff she hid?" Malone wondered out loud.

James and JC immediately exchange glances. 'The tart was telling the truth.'

"Yes, but she would have carried her weapon. Marguerite is not so reckless; I assure you she values her life. And why did she need to go retrieve it?"

"Well, you guys were planning to leave tomorrow morning," JC piped in. "Maybe it was something she needed to bring to London with her."

John stroked back his hair letting out a deep breath. "Well, it's one of the stupidest things she's done on the plateau. I knew the day we found that damn trunk there was going to be trouble. There always is when it comes to Marguerite's greed," he mumbled.

"What I don't understand is, why didn't she come back when she couldn't find what she was looking for?" Malone reporters mind queried.