A/N: Had to use an OC because I didn't want to make a regular character the culprit.

Chapter 3.

Kate looked after Sayid long after his retreating figure was a mere speck in the distance. The tide was coming in now, obscuring the footprints he'd left behind. She wished him well with all her heart. Kate felt very keen disappointment for him. After what had happened between him and Sawyer...learning that Sayid had killed before...it was really too bad he felt he had to strike out on his own. But maybe he would be able to accomplish something by himself. Indeed, someone did have to map the island, discover its breadth and extent. Kate prayed for his safety and survival.

There was still so much about this island that was scary, unexplained and dangerous. While she felt deep inside that Sayid would be able to take care of himself, what if something happened to him anyway? He would have no way of calling for help. The thought unsettled Kate. They'd already lost two of the crash survivors. They'd almost lost Jack in the cave-in. Kate didn't want to lose anyone else. As she stood on the shore, arms crossed over her chest and tidewater washing around her ankles, a voice from behind made her jump.

"Good riddance," the interloper growled under his breath.

Kate whirled around.

"Excuse me?" she said, blinking at the stranger. Then she amended her thoughts. It was one of their fellow crash survivors, a man named Simon. She didn't know much about him; just that he was one those who had chosen to remain at the beach campsite.

"The Republican Guardsman," Simon spat with scorn. "Or as we all know his true identity, which is terrorist. We're much better off without the likes of him hanging about here anymore."

Kate stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, Sayid is no terrorist," she retorted, one eyebrow raised in reproach, shaking her head.

"Yeah?" Simon shot back. "And how would you know that?"

"How would you?" Kate challenged.

"Oh, please!" Simon said, rolling his eyes. "Don't be so naïve. The only reason anyone like him would be on a commercial plane would be to plan an attack or to carry out an attack. Like 9/11. Hell, he's probably the very reason we crashed!"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Kate said, feeling indignation for Sayid's sake steadily rising.

"Oh, really? Then why did we crash? I bet he was one of those suicide bombers. Him and his buddies crashed our plane. And now you're defending him!"

"If Sayid was a suicide bomber, why isn't he dead?" Kate argued, almost yelling, furious at Simon's baseless accusations.

"Simple," Simon said with a shrug. "Lost his nerve. That boy's a coward, and that's the real reason he's taking off now. Has to get away from us because he knew we'd all figure it out sooner or later. He knew that he'd be skinned alive, just like that Mr. Locke fella skins those boars. Yeah, what a sight that woulda been...But like I said: good riddance. Can't do any more harm to us if he's out there, on the other side of the island."

Kate felt her jaw starting to ache. She didn't realize she'd been clenching it so tightly. She curled her hands up into fists. Then an awful notion started to formulate in her mind.

"Wait a minute..." she said slowly. "What do you mean Sayid can't do 'any more harm'? What have you done?"

"Me? Only what I had to do to help maintain the safety of my fellow Americans," Simon said with a smug grin.

"Well, I'm Canadian, actually," Kate said darkly, "and in case you hadn't noticed, we've got several other nationalities around here as well."

Simon shrugged. "So what? The rest of the free world owes a lot to the United States of America's military might. Without us, you wouldn't be enjoying the freedoms you enjoy."

"My God!" Kate said. "We're on a deserted island, and you're getting patriotic? On this island, it doesn't matter what we are! Where we come from is not going to save us."

"But where we come from might get us all killed, like your friend, the terrorist – sorry, the Republican Guardsman," Simon said, with an angry glare.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Kate asked, growing more and more upset.

"What do you think he was doing earlier, heading off into the jungle with all that equipment and shit? I noticed you were helping him with that little 'mission'. What did he tell you he was doing, huh?"

"He was...we were trying to find the source of another signal on the island," Kate said carefully, knowing that they had agreed not to reveal anything about the content of the French woman's signal to the other survivors. With the exception of Jack, Kate intended to keep that promise.

"And you believed that bunk?!" Simon barked incredulously.

"Yes," Kate said simply.

"Honey, you're much more naïve than I thought! It's a damn good thing I'm around to watch things here!"

"What did you do?!" Kate cried, becoming alarmed at what Simon was insinuating.

"I did what any sane person would do: I stopped him. You think he was trying to find some 'signal'? Signal from where, honey? We all know this island is deserted. You said so yourself."

Kate held her tongue for a moment.

"You see? Just proves I'm right. Here's what I figure he was doing, since you obviously fell for his ruse: he must have been setting up for sending a signal of his own, to his terrorist buddies. To let them know where he was, and that they could come here, kill us all and take him home, where they'd all be welcomed back as heroes."

Kate felt sick with rage and disbelief. "You...You attacked Sayid...and you destroyed the transceiver, and the antenna..."

"Do it again, too!" Simon said with conviction. "Just sorry that blow to the head didn't kill him."

It took all her will not to strike out at Simon. She wanted nothing more than to wipe the self-satisfied grin from his face; to beat some sense into him. But there had been too much of that going on already on the island; she didn't wish for it to continue. Still, it would have felt so good to pummel him.

"Do you know what you've done?" Kate asked slowly. "You've single-handedly destroyed any chance we had of finding that signal."

"After all I've said, you still believe that-"

"I heard the signal we were trying to find with my own ears!" Kate shouted at the top of her lungs.

It was so loud, others on the beach turned to look in their direction.

"I heard it," she said, this time more quietly. "The three antennae we erected were going to help Sayid triangulate the location with the transceiver."

"Wha? But...Why didn't you all feel like sharing the news about that 'signal' with the rest of us, huh?" Simon asked dumbly.

"Because..." Kate started, "because we didn't know where it was coming from. We didn't want to give people false hope. And now, because of you, there's no hope left at all."

"I...I couldn't have known..." Simon stammered.

"No, because you were too busy being a prejudiced jerk! Sayid may not have been on the side of the damn United States of America in the Gulf War, but on this island, we were supposed to have common goals: survival and rescue. I hope you're happy with yourself, Simon. It's because of people like you that conflicts are perpetuated. I hope one day you grow up."

Kate stalked off, feeling sorry for Sayid, but even sorrier for Simon, whose offensive attitudes and hatred had led him to act foolishly; destructively. And now everyone else on the island would have to suffer the consequences. The senselessness of it all almost made her weep.

She didn't know whether to report Simon to the others or not. It wasn't like there were any courts on the island where he could be brought forward for trial before a judge and jury. Kate only hoped Simon had enough of a conscience left to convict himself.

I hope you find your way, Sayid, Kate thought, and I hope you'll never have to know why you were attacked. You deserved better.

END