Disclaimer:- I don't own Tom Sawyer, Mina Harker, Skinner, Captain Nemo, Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde or anything else used in the fic, except Smith and Mr. Big. One, very important note here. PLEASE READ. A few different torture methods are mentioned in this chapter. Every one mentioned does exist, though only one is described. If anyone really wants me to, I can include information about the other methods in the next part or I can e-mail the information. Otherwise, just imagine that they are really nasty. Got that? Great! =) Now, the shout outs.

Angharad:- Yeah, I'm glad Tom's a good guy again as well...

Clez:- That was indeed some form of thief logic... just not a very good example. Doomed the lot of them? Ohh, could be, could be. Guess you'll just have to wait and find out, won't you. *grins*

Silent Bob 546:- Ah, I wouldn't worry too much about Smith... you'll see why soon. Hope the confusion will pass, this story is drawing to a close... soon.

LotRseer3350:- Skinner was - believe it or not - trying to help Tom... he just made a mess of it, don't worry, Skinner's motives are discussed in this part.

Graymoon74:- Never played Tomb Raider... okay, I did, but never got past the second level, plus the butler scared me.... *shrugs shoulders* Though locking him in the freezer was an art I grew good at. Tom ready to save the day... *sniggers* Yes... and as for the bad feeling, it was probably right.

Funyun:- Originally, in the first draft I wrote, Mina did see Jonathan, but in the end I decided that since Dracula biting Mina was something Mina gave into, then it would work. Ah, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, a movie I saw for the very first time last year and I love it... so yeah, that's probably where the idea came from. I know, Tom will be feeling very low after that hit... and Skinner's reasons will be explained, don't worry.

Niani:- Glad you liked the last part, hope you like this one as well.

Silversnow:- Hold my muse hostage, please, be my guest! After what it made me do in this part...

Hoshii-chan:- Don't worry, lots of people were confused about Skinner's actions but they are explained, don't worry.

Steffi-333:- I know, Skinner isn't really... that bright now is he. Where did you get the idea I wasn't going to hurt Tom? This is me afterall... [wait till you read this part...]

And now...

The Bodyguard.

~~~

Part Twenty-Three:- Sacrifice

~~~

"Tom... Tom, wake up!" The female voice penetrated the fog surrounding his brain and the American blinked a few times to try and wake up. He could feel a horrible pounding in his head, as if an army of tiny Egyptians were running around inside of his head and trying to quarry rocks out of his brain to make a pyramid. He groaned slightly as the fog lifted from his eyes.

Bending over Tom, the worry viable in her blue eyes was the Dream girl... only she didn't look like the dream girl anymore. For a start Tom could have sworn her eyes were brown. Her hair was lighter as well, a pale, mousy brown, instead of the dark brown, almost black hair she had before. Other than that, she seemed the same person. Tom sighed, and tried to focus on her, ignoring the fuzzy doubles he could see.

"Oh great." Tom said, biting back another groan as he attempted to roll over on his side. Instantly the Dream girl was there, helping him move. Tom froze, then slowly rolled back, so he was looking upwards. "Is this a dream again?" He asked. The Dream girl shook her head, a low laugh leaving her mouth.

"As strange as this may seem Tom, no this isn't a dream. It's the real world." She said. Tom frowned, but found he didn't have the energy to argue with her.

"Did... why did Skinner hit me?" Tom asked slowly, almost afraid of the answer.

"He was trying to help you. You see, Big has to complete the ritual within a certain time and he is rapidly running out of that. Skinner thought if he could keep you away from Big long enough the time for the ritual will pass." The girl said.

"That's silly." Tom said with a frown. "There is no way I would leave the rest of the League with Big, after all if he can't find me, he might hurt them... and that's why Skinner knocked me out isn't it?" He finished with a sigh. "He knew I wouldn't leave them and I would put myself in harm's way."

"Precisely. Skinner thought he was acting for the best when he knocked you out. There was no way you would go down that crack without him, you wouldn't leave a friend. So Skinner did the only thing he could think of." The Dream girl said softly. Tom leaned his head back, feeling tears coming to his eyes. He blinked at them, to stop them falling. If the girl noticed, she didn't say anything.

"Skinner is in trouble. Mr. Big has him and the rest of your friends." She said. Tom closed his eyes, but made no effort to stand up.

"What's the point?" Tom asked in a dull voice. "They all hate me and Big is going to kill them what ever I do..." He sighed, trying to regain even a fraction of his optimism that he was so well known for.

"Is there any chance?"

"There is always a chance Tom... fortunes wheel is forever turning because nothing is certain." The girl said. She looked to the left for a second, her gaze far away, before looking back at him, a faint smile on her face.

"Listen to me. Everything you have seen and done since entering the Maze has led to this point. What happens now though - is entirely up to you. I won't lie and say this is a large chance Agent Sawyer... the odds are probably smaller than when you went to Mongolia. So. Will you risk it all and do something that is almost certainly suicide?" She asked, holding out a hand to help him up. Tom looked up at her through a curtain of blond hair. He knew that the hand was a sign. His choice. Tom lifted his injured hand and stared at it, the blood slowly stained the bandage where he had been cut.

Tom reached out with his other hand and grasped her own with his. The hand was smooth and pale. She smiled.

"Good luck Tom." The Dream girl said, pulling him to his feet. As she did, she started to fade and become transparent, her hand loosing it's sense of being made up of solid matter - a feeling that, for Tom, was not very pleasant, his only support vanishing under his grip. By the time Tom was standing on his feet, the girl was gone.

~~~

The bundle of coat, blood and grease paint that was Skinner moved and a pitiful whimper of pain escaped from the mouth. The British thief was not yet regained consciousness and Mr. Big was starting to get annoyed and more than a little worried. He was almost out of time. Ever since the robed man had returned with a knocked out Skinner and Sawyer's Winchester rife, Big had known that something, somewhere, had gone horribly wrong. The rest of the League were seated inside the platform, one of the two remaining robed men standing next to him. The other robed figure was standing just outside of the influence of the spell that held the League in place, and handing from the mans hands was Skinner. Big was just inside the platform, a look of disgust on his face.

"Wake him up." Big snapped. "I know, I know." He added, seeing how the robed man was looking at the unconsciousness man. "Do what ever you have to, just wake him up." The robed man began to shake Skinner by the collar as if he was a dog. The thief gave a yelp of pain as the world rushed back to him, swaying as it did so.

//When did I end up on a ship? If I'm not on one, then why is the world moving?\\

"Ah, Skinner. At least, you've decided to join us." Mr. Big practically purred, as the greased head lifted and looked around.

//... Oh Bugger...\\

"I will say this only once and you had better hope you give me the answer I want. Where is Sawyer?" Big asked. Skinner shrugged slightly, the movement sending a tingling feeling down his spin and throughout his body.

"I don't know." He answered. Big's eyes narrowed and he gave a short nod. The man standing behind Skinner and holding him in place tightened his grip as the second robed man walked over, holding something in his hand. Skinner regarded him warily as the man got closer and closer until he was standing next to Mr. Big. The man slipped the glove like object with metal fingers onto his hand and punched. Skinner gasped and bent over, the breath knocked out of him.

"Wrong answer." Big hissed. The man with the weapon like glove lifted his hand and smashed it down on Skinner's back. The League member would have fallen to the ground if the first man hadn't been holding him in place. Big gave a another small nod and the man backed away slightly.

"There is something I want to tell you Skinner." Big said, his voice level. "Sawyer was very much like you when I first caught him. Disobedient, lying, not knowing what was best for him. I passed him over to Smith, who learnt everything he did to your friend from me. Now, I may not be able to recreate everything that I had done to your American friend... the Chinese water torture, the dunking, the fire, the beatings, giving him the bastinado with red ants or my personal favourite; an invention of the American's, the Modern water torture but I can cause you untold pain."

//You bastard...\\ Skinner thought, as he listened to Big rattle off the list of everything he done to Tom.

"Now. Where is Sawyer?" Big asked again. Skinner laughed, a laugh that turned into a long cough.

"Go to hell." He finally answered in a harsh voice before coughing again. There was a short pause.

"Are you religious Skinner?" Big asked, his lips pressed firmly together. "It was often believed, in Catholic countries, that the soul of a heretic or witch was corrupted, filthy, and bedeviled by all manner of foulness. So they developed a way to cleanse the soul. The heretic was forced to consume heated or scalding consumables (scalding water, fire brands, coals, even soaps). I do so think religion is a wonderful thing." He said with a sigh. "It teaches us so much that we need to know about the world." Big stopped talking and the silence that hung in the cavern was thick with tension and fear. Skinner stared in horror at the Colonel who had a faint smile on his face.

"You have lied to me and swore at me. I think it is safe to assume that your soul is dirty. However... luckily for you, I have some water with me and something to heat it with, meaning we can cleanse your soul. Aren't you lucky. So, I will ask you again. One. Last. Time. Where is Sawyer?"

"I'm right here." Tom said, standing at the entrance to the cavern, a hand resting on the wall to his side. Big smiled and tilted his head to the side, before moving to the left and letting the robed man drag Skinner inside the influence of the spell.

"Why there you are Sawyer. Come on, we don't have much time." Big said, the smile still on his face. Tom stared back at him, his face empty. He didn't know what to do, he had no weapons, no plan, he hadn't even meant to say anything. He had been forced to, in a bid to stop Big hurting Skinner anymore. The smile on the Colonel's face faded slightly.

"Sawyer!" He snapped. "Come here!"

"No." The word slipped out before Tom could stop it. He blinked a few times, feeling dizzy and lightheaded all of a sudden. Big clenched a fist together and his mouth fell open as he understood.

"How...? No matter." He muttered to himself before closing his mouth and allowing a sly smile to come to his face.

"What are you going to do Sawyer? You have no weapon and even if you have manged to find something, there is no way you can kill all three of us at the same time. The moment you attack my men will start to kill your friends. And you know that even if you kill me, that will not end the spell holding them."

"There is more than one way to end the spell..." Tom said, the words sounding hollow even to himself. Mr. Big nodded.

"Two ways in fact. One: finish the ritual correctly. Or two: you and I have to leave the spell at the same time. You have one choice Sawyer. Jump. Tell the souls that you have given your life willingly." Mr. Big stated. Tom stared at him in disbelief before laughing.

"You're joking right? You can't force me down that well, if you do, I'll tell the souls that I was unwilling."

"If you don't I will kill your friends." Big said calmly. Tom froze, then shook his head slightly.

"Even if I do jump, there is nothing to stop you killing them after." Tom snapped back. On the platform Mina's eyes widened slightly, as she realized Tom was even thinking about doing what that... thing wanted. Big sighed dramatically.

"Think boy. Once I absorb your life energy the spell will be broken and your friends can move again. A side effect of the absorption of a life is temporary invincibility. Your friends will have the chance to escape. You have no choice Sawyer. If you want to give your friends even the slightest chance to live..." He trailed off and Tom clenched his free hand into a fist, gritting his teeth together.

"There is always more choice that first thought." A female voice whispered. Tom snapped his head to the right, where the Dream girl was standing. Her hair had completely transformed by now, the color a striking blond.

"Tom... remember. There is more choice than he thinks." She said. At the other end of the narrow path Big frowned as Tom turned his head to the right, staring at empty space. Big stared hard at the area Tom was looking at and for a split second he thought he could see a shimmer of light. Tom nodded and muttered something to his right, but Big was too far away to hear it. Then the American started to walk proudly down the path, head held high.

//No Sawyer... don't do it... not for us...\\ Dr. Jekyll thought. After only a few seconds Tom had come face to face with Big. The two locked eyes, green burning into blue.

"Remember, for the ritual to work, you must say you gave your life willingly. If you don't the ritual will fail and your friends will pay the price." Big said. He held out the Dagger of the Well, carefully wrapped in a handkerchief. Tom silently took it and headed toward the center of the platform, where the Well sat. He climbed the three steps and stood on the rim peering down into the darkness. A faint purple light could be seen deep inside.

"We are waiting." A hissing voice said, that came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Only Tom seemed aware of the voice though.

~~~

Outside of the maze Smith gave a gasp of pain and screamed as his arm disintegrated before his very eye sockets. The sand storm blew more fiercely, completely covering the skeleton that had once been Smith. With a final, soul haunting cry the bones turned to dust and Smith's spirit fled back to the Well.

Inside without looking back at the League and the gloating face of Mr. Big, Tom tensed his muscles and took a deep breath, gripping the Dagger in his uninjured hand as he stood on the rim of the Well.

And then - Agent Tom Sawyer jumped.

TBC...

Hope everyone liked that part and *crosses fingers in hope* that no one will threaten to kill me. Anyway, check back soon for the next part!

~Sethoz