Famous Last Words
Chapter Nine
"Nice," Sawyer spat, stepping on the last stair before arriving on the flat carpet soon recognized as Jack's apartment, "I'm glad to know that all that time, you had a plan all worked out."
"Hey, it was your idea to hide in the alley," Jack pointed out.
"You were supposed to tell me what I stupid idea that was!" Sawyer hissed.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Jack said as they reached his door, "they're gone."
"Great," Sawyer sighed, "what are we going to do now?"
He hoped whatever Jack's plan was, it consisted of getting some sleep and putting it off until the morning. Sawyer was exhausted, and unlike Jack, who hid any of his faults, he wasn't afraid to show it.
"Wait for them to strike again."
Sawyer let out a sigh of relief. This would most likely mean that he would get his sleep, though Jack wouldn't. Not to mention whatever had gone on between him and Kate was clearly still on Jack's mind, as he zoned in and out constantly, even as he walked.
"You gonna open that door?" Sawyer said bitterly, not in the mood to stand in a hallway for the rest of the night.
"Right," Jack said, snapping himself out of a daze.
The knob clicked open, and Jack pushed open the door. Half expecting Kate to throw herself on top of him, Jack braced himself, but ended up facing nothing but the air.
"Planning on moving?"
Nodding again, Jack stepped in.
"Kate?" He called to the empty apartment. "We're back."
No response. Moving towards the couch where Kate had spent the previous two nights, Jack picked up the blanket that was sprawn across it, laying lone on the soft cushions. The white spray paint that still lingered over the walls and wood in the apartment shone in the moonlight, and Jack stood frozen, clutching the blanket in his fist, feeling rage build up in him until Sawyer's voice once again broke him from his thoughts of Kate.
"Jack," Sawyer said painfully from across the room.
Jack turned, the pain in his eyes matching the pain in Sawyer's voice, and Sawyer was saved from continuing when Jack noticed what the problem was. The newly replaced balcony door stood open, and the plastic chairs that once sat on the concrete were turned over. Running over, Jack practically fell over the railing's edge as he prayed he was seeing things. But he wasn't. The Ford truck that once sat below was gone, and so was Kate.
"Come on," Sawyer said from behind him, "let's go back inside, call the police."
"What?" Jack said, spinning around. "No. No way. I found Charlie- I can find Kate too."
"Actually, I thought you found Charlie hung," Sawyer said, "and that was just Ethan and his little gang of wannabes. You have no idea how it is out there- trust me, don't get into it."
"I'm not talking about doing drugs here!" Jack argued. "I'm talking about saving someone's life, and if your not coming-"
"No," Sawyer said quickly, "the last thing I need is for her to be found and go on and on about how I sat on the couch and did nothing. One condition though."
"What?"
"We use your car."
"Do you even have a car?"
Sawyer just shrugged.
"Let's go."
(Space)
The minutes ticked into hours as the second time lapse of the day drew nearer. Only the sound of distant arguments that made Jack's hairs on his neck stand up filled the nights, along with an occasional swerve of traffic. The sound of his footsteps against the concrete rang in his ears as Sawyer's echoed behind him. Finally stopping along the row of cars, he indicated that the cruiser was in, and Sawyer was about to open the door as Jack took out his keys, a small voice spoke out from the alley.
"Jack!" Kate's voice whispered from the darkness.
Both Jack and Sawyer jumped before pulling themselves together, moving towards her voice. Kate lay in the alley way, scrunched up against the wall. Jack bent down, immediately checking on her on instinct.
"I'm fine," Kate said in a rush, "they're gone."
"What?" Jack said, and had to momentarily try and remember why he was even outside in the middle of the night.
"They tried to kidnap me," Kate said, trying to clear her head, "and I got away. They drove off." She smiled a little through the haze. "But I know which way they went."
Jack looked at her.
"Do you think you can show me?"
(Space)
"Great plan you had," Sawyer muttered sarcastically, "really."
"Will you shut up?" Jack said, though Sawyer's comment had jerked him awake, keeping him from falling asleep at the wheel, which he supposed was a good thing.
"Will both of you shut up?" Kate sighed from the back seat.
It was three in the morning, Jack had gotten them lost, and Kate's back was killing her. With her outburst, both Jack and Sawyer did shut up, though the silence began to drove her crazy.
"Wait, I think I hear something," Kate said suddenly.
"Huh?" Jack said, coming out of another daze.
Kate looked back and then immediately ducked down.
"What?" Sawyer asked, sounding a step under amused.
"There's someone behind us."
Jack checked the review mirror and sure enough, a mass of black automotive was right up the SUV's tail, and the three passengers jerked as Jack excellerated out of no where.
"Watch it, will ya?" Sawyer shouted as Jack turned the corner causing Sawyer, who wasn't wearing a seat belt, to slam against the door, and bounce back.
Kate barely caught him before he fell right onto Jack.
"Thanks," he mumbled as he pulled himself up. Kate let herself slide down against the seat as Sawyer did the same, in fear that the passengers of the other car might(and probably did) have a gun.
Thirty minutes later, Sawyer was half asleep in the passenger seat beside Jack, and even Kate caught herself dozing off every few seconds. She had come to the conclusion that car chases weren't as great as movies made them.
"Hey Jack," she said, hoping she'd get an answer without finding out that Jack had fallen asleep minutes ago, "I think we lost them."
"Really?" Jack said with no emotion.
Kate had to smirk.
"Too afraid to look back?"
Jack didn't say anything, only smiled a bit as he eased his driving. They were now on one of the back roads somewhere in LA, heading near the projects, something Kate knew, but Jack didn't. But for some reason, even thought their safety was at stake, Kate couldn't bring herself to part with the calmness she felt in the car. Though it was definitely awkward, she couldn't help to smile at Jack's determination as he drove.
"Is he asleep yet?" Kate asked, glancing towards the still form of Sawyer.
"At the moment," Jack said, obviously enjoying the silence.
"Too bad he didn't sleep through the whole thing," Kate said, thinking, "we could've really gone on about it."
"Like what?" Jack said, amused. "Convence him we got in a wreck and he was in a coma for two years?"
"I'm right here ya know," Sawyer muttered against the window, and instead of feeling disappointed, she felt herself smile a little once more.
It wasn't all that bad, she decided, staying with both Jack and Sawyer. She was touched by how they were both determined to put aside their differences to save her, though had someone dared her to stay one night with the two a month ago, she would've laughed in their face.
"Yeah yeah, we know," Kate said as Sawyer sat up, staring out the window as trees rolled by.
"I guess we lost them," he said.
"Way back," Jack nodded.
"So you have no clue where we are?"
"No," Jack said, feeling himself become slightly more annoyed by the minute.
"So you don't know that there's somebody following us?" Sawyer said, looking through the mirror attached to his window.
"What?" Jack said, having to grip the steering wheel tight to keep from turning it.
"Gotcha," Sawyer smirked.
Kate hit his shoulder.
"That wasn't funny," she said, and then fell back into her seat, "he's right though. We're getting no where out here. They're still out there looking for us somewhere. We've got to hide."
"Well there's no turning back now," Jack said, "we go back, we'll run right into them."
"Then what do you suggest?" Sawyer said sarcastically.
"There's an alleyway up ahead," Jack said, noticing the upcoming buildings long ago, "why don't we just- hang out there for a while?"
"Hang out there for a while," Sawyer snickered, "great, sounds fun. You bringing the tupperware?"
"Shut up," Kate snap, sick of the bickering, and turned back to Jack, "it's fine. Give them a few hours, they'll get tired of us.
But a few hours drew on as Jack's plan became pointless. The SUV was parked in a dark alleyway, decorated with twice as much spray paint that was in Jack's apartment at the moment. Jack sat with the car door open, propped against the back of the seat with his legs dangling to the ground. Kate sat beside him on the ground, her back propped up against the wheel(she had made Jack swear that the engine was off) and Sawyer sat across from them, knees drawn up to his chest and his back against the brick wall behind him.
"Great plan," Sawyer said after actually managing to sit fifteen minutes in silence.
Both Jack and Kate sighed.
"Next time, we're calling the police," Sawyer went on, and looked at Kate, making sure she understood, "that was my plan."
"What?" Kate said. "Wait for the police to come while they did God only knew what to me?"
This time, it was Jack's turn to smirk.
"Sh!" Sawyer hissed suddenly.
"What?" Kate asked, glancing around.
"Nothing," Sawyer said after the night had just grown quiet again, "thought I heard something."
"That's not funny," Kate muttered, relaxing a little.
"Wait," Jack said, just as quickly as Sawyer had.
"What now?" Kate groaned.
"Someone's coming," Jack whispered, face frozen.
"I could've sworn I heard someone over here!" The first guy whined in a childish tone.
"Just like you could've sworn another car was following us?" Another snapped.
"Yeah!" Then he stopped. "Wait..hold on."
"Wait, what the hell," said a third voice.
"Huh?"
"Tire tracks," the third voice explained.
Jack, Kate, and Sawyer all sat frozen, and it was clear to them. The chase wasn't over.
"Kate, get in the car," Sawyer whispered as quietly as he could.
Though she could hear him clearly, she couldn't move. It was as though she was glued to the ground.
"Kate!" Sawyer hissed louder.
Kate tried shaking herself out of it, knowing that remaining on the ground would only get one or more of them shot or worse. Pushing herself off the ground, she wavered from gravity, and Jack caught her to keep her balance. Sawyer had equally as hard of time standing up, but he had to result to grabbing onto the car for balance, as Jack and Kate were already arguing over who was going to drive.
"Jack you haven't gotten a wink of sleep!" Kate was shouting as softly as she could without getting too loud.
"It's my car!" Was Jack's only argument.
"Aw hell," Sawyer said, "I'll drive."
He made a grab for the keys in Jack's hand, but Jack jerked away, hiding the keys behind him.
"Come on Jack, stop it!" Kate cried. "You're going to get us killed."
"Have you ever even been in a car chase before?" Jack snapped.
"Have you?" Sawyer shot back.
"For God's sake just move over!" Kate sighed, rolling her eyes.
The two were bickering like a married couple who couldn't decided on a honeymoon location, and frankly, it was driving Kate insane. So she decided to put a stop to it. Shoving Jack to the side with a rough push, she grabbed the keys out of Jack's hand, and jumped into the car, closing the door before either of them could stop her. She soon had the engine started, and was backing out of the alley before Jack and Sawyer even realized what was happening.
"She just stole my car!" Jack said, staggering in the spot where his car once stood.
"Yeah, well that's the least of our problems," Sawyer said, "because from what we know, there are two different gangs out their who want us dead. Come on."
Jack followed Sawyer to the edge of the alleyway.
"What?" Jack said, and realized what Sawyer was doing. "We're going to steal a car?"
Sawyer nodded as his eyes scanned the abandon parking lot in front of them, landing on a black Ford.
"That car?" Jack said, breathing heavily.
"You don't catch on fast, do you?" Sawyer said. "Hell no. That would be the car that we're after. We're stealing that car."
He pointed to another pickup, a beaten up truck with a broken tail light and shattered back window. Sawyer could almost laugh at the look on Jack's face that clearly read 'isn't that wrong?'
"Look at the bright side," Sawyer shrugged, "we don't have to worry about wrecking it. And I'm driving."
Just as Jack and Sawyer were about to formulate their plan, they were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind them.
"Dammit," Sawyer muttered, and then turned to Jack, "just stay cool, all right? And don't say anything stupid. In fact, don't say anything at all."
"Fine," Jack muttered, having no problem with the demand whatsoever.
"What the hell are you two doing out here?" One of them said.
As the opposing men came closer towards the moonlight, Jack saw that they were each wearing tattered jeans with leather jackets, stolen, he presumed.
"Some southern trash and wise ass like yourself," he continued, nodding to Sawyer and Jack.
Sawyer clenched his fist inside his pockets beside him, trying to think of something to say.
"What?" The other said. "Your girlfriend leave you or somethin'?"
The thought of Kate touched a nerve in Jack, just thinking of how these two were just taking time away from when he could be saving her. Acting unrashionally, Jack threw himself at the second guy who had spoken to him.
"Jack!" Sawyer yelled in frustration, trying to pull him off of the guy, which only led to him receiving a punch to the jaw, which weakened Sawyer, giving him the down side of the fight, and he soon found himself being shoved back against the brick graffitied wall, and Jack was left to feed for himself as he felt his head flying from side to side with the rhythm of the man's fist.
Jack held up his battle for a while, giving the other guy a few good punches to the gut, and one in the jaw, but soon the past few sleepless night came back to haunt him as he felt himself growing slightly dizzy, and he staggered at the sudden quickly movement, which only went to his attacker's advantage as he was pushed to the ground and kicked in the side to keep him there, thrown down with a punch to the side of his face which sent caused his vision to fail. Jack had to admit that he was surprised at what one punch could do after all those fights on the island, and he had no choice but to accept it as he felt himself fall into darkness.
Author's Note: I didn't want to stop there, really! I'm just not sure how long I'll have to write today, and i wanted to get something out. Not to mention I need to think about the next part a little more. Thanks for all the reviews! I'm lovin' them!
Next up, on "Famous Last Words":
Jack wakes up to realize that they're far behind in the chase, and they have no choice but to try to find Kate, who gets herself in more trouble when the Ford passengers behind them take matters into their own hands to get their revenge on Kate- deadly revenge. And Sawyer better stop thinking about car wrecks and how car chases are supposed to be a little more interesting, the coma thing too- he might just jinx himself.
Thanks again, and sorry for the wait!
October Sky
