Charlie heard the scream again, and concentrated as it bounced back and forth in the trees. With a, exuberant splash of mud, he sprinted in the direction of her screaming. "CLAIRE!" he cried, running as hard as he could. "CLAIRE!"

Claire heard her name being called and she changed direction, heading toward the voice. She knew that voice. That was the voice of the man who had first screamed at her and claimed to be in love with her. Now all she wanted was for him to show her that love he felt for her and to save her and her baby.

Then, she would be all too happy to love him in return.

Charlie ran and ran. Nothing could keep him from trying to save her. Nothing. It was all a matter of time. He did not have to be too late. He could be her hero.

All of a sudden, something slammed into him, knocking him back in the mud. He gasped in shock and looked up to see what it was.

It was Claire.

"Claire!" he exclaimed, holding her close, running his fingers through her blonde hair and rocking her. "Claire, I was so worried! Oh, Claire, never leave me again, never!" He kissed the top of her head, but she struggled with him, trying to twist away.

"Stop!" she shrieked, "Him! Ethan's after me and he wants to hurt my baby, save me!"

Charlie stopped kissing her and stared at her. "What!" he exclaimed. She glanced over towards the direction from which she came, her eyes wide with terror, and he did not have to ask her what the matter was.

"So you decided to cooperate, Charlie. How ironic."

Charlie did not look at Ethan. He just stared at Claire. "Leave her alone, Ethan." he said in a low voice, his throat dry with fear.

"Oh, but I can't do that."

Charlie turned to see Ethan standing there, a bloody knife gripped in one hand, the gun that Locke had given Sawyer clutched loosely in the other. "Why do you want to kill Claire's baby?" Charlie asked, his voice quavering. "Why?"

Ethan's unbalanced smile widened. "Who says I wanted to kill it?" he asked.

Charlie stared at Ethan, Ethan stared at Charlie, both listening to Claire's terrified breathing and the pounding of the rain. Charlie was about to jump up and fight him to the death when a slight, muted movement behind Ethan caught his eye. His face changed to hold a look of unsure observation, and Ethan stared harder at him.

"What are you looking at?" he asked sharply.

Charlie stared hard at that spot. Suddenly someone stepped silently out from the bushes.

"Ethan," Locke said, calling his name.

Ethan spun to face Locke. The hunter and the madman stared each other down for a few silent moments. Charlie stared at the both of them, and then caught something. He would not have seen it had he not been looking for it. It was not noticeable, just a slight gleam in the hunter's eye, but Charlie caught it.

He knew what he had to do.

"Locke." stated Ethan. "You are powerless against me."

Charlie slowly got to his feet, quieting Claire.

"Is that so?" asked Locke.

Charlie crept soundlessly nearer to the madman as Claire looked on, horrified.

"You and your pathetic band will never kill me. I killed Shannon. I will kill them all."

Charlie was standing behind Ethan now.

"Somehow," smiled Locke, "I don't think so."

Before Ethan even had time to change his expression, Charlie had grabbed him, looping one arm around his chin and grabbing a fistful of wet brown hair, and twisted his neck sharply. A quick, sickening crack resounded through the jungle, and Claire let out a short scream. Ethan fell to the muddy ground, hands outstretched, still loosely holding the weapons.

He was dead.

Charlie hurried back over to Claire and began soothing her, holding her, rocking her as the rain poured down on them and Locke stared at Ethan's dead body. Suddenly he glanced up at Charlie. "Charlie," he said vaguely, and Charlie looked up at him. Locke hesitated. "Did he say he killed Shannon?"