Author's Note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been having problems with computers. I now have the internet at my house though, so I'll sure enough be updating like crazy now.
Mony19-Yay! Someone else agrees that Jack is an ass :)
Spork Princess-Another Jack hater :p Sorry for the lack updates, hopefully you're still reading! Thanks for reviewing!
Freckles-101-Yes, Jack and Sayid will find out the truth. But they won't find it out by Sawyer, so who's left that knows? lol
silje-wow, you love me? I love you too for reviewing! Thanks!
And now, a well deserved chapter! Enjoy!
Chapter Nine
Trouble in the Jungle
'Where does he think he's going?' Michael asked as they all watched Sawyer stomp through some bushes and disappear.
'I don't know, but I should go after him,' Kate said.
'Why? Let the murderer go,' Jack said moodily as he bent down to retrieve the letter from where he had dropped it.
'Jack,' Kate said, giving him a look. 'It's because of you that he's even out there.'
'Because of me? I'm sorry Kate, but he was the one in the wrong,' Jack said defensively as he wiped the blood from his lip.
'He was in the wrong? You were the one that came barging in here, accusing him of being a murderer!' Kate said, now her voice starting to rise.
Sayid and Michael looked at her. They didn't expect Kate to stand up for Sawyer like this. Not when the evidence was so clearly written out.
'He is a murderer! It said so in the letter!' Jack said hotly.
'Jack, the letter wasn't even written to him,' Kate said.
'What? What are you-'
'It was written by him,' Kate said.
Jack stared at her as if she had slapped him.
'Kate, are you telling us that there's two Sawyers?' Sayid asked.
'Yes, there is, or was two Sawyers. The Sawyer you know, he . . . just believe me on this. Jack, please give me the letter,' Kate said, addressing both Sayid and Jack.
'Whoa, whoa, wait. How do you even know about this?' Jack asked, trying to cover his surprise.
'I, it, it doesn't matter. Give me the letter so I can go and get him before he gets himself lost or worse,' Kate said, holding out her hand.
'I thought you re through with lying, Kate,' Jack said.
Kate stared at him in disbelief. 'I'm not lying to you, Jack. There's an envelope that letter belongs in. It's probably still in Sawyer's tent. Look at it and you'll know I'm telling the truth. Now, can I have the letter?'
Jack looked at Kate as she held her hand out again. He studied her for a few minutes, but she stood her ground. She was telling the truth for once, he could tell it in her eyes. He sighed as he realized that he had been wrong in his accusations.
'Here,' he said, handing the letter to her.
'Thank you,' Kate said, but Jack was no longer looking at her. He stared at the ground for a few minutes and then walked off; he grabbed his bag and then headed to the trail for the beach.
'So, lemme get this straight,' Michael said as Jack left. 'Sawyer didn't kill anyone.'
Kate felt a sinking sensation in her stomach as she turned toward Michael.
'That's right,' she lied.
'Oh, okay . . . Well, I'm gonna go and head back to the raft then. I guess I'll see you two later,' Michael said before he took off.
Sayid looked at Kate critically as Michael left. He could tell that she had just lied to Michael. Kate felt his eyes on her and looked at him. She looked into his eyes and knew what he did.
'Sayid-'
'He has killed someone before, hasn't he?' Sayid asked.
Kate sighed. 'Yes, but he didn't tell me who. It doesn't even matter anymore. If he was the killing type then he would have killed someone by now.'
'But he did kill a polar bear and a marshal,' Sayid pointed out.
'How do you know about the marshal?' Kate asked, her body tensing.
'Everyone heard the gunshot. Word travels fast around here too, Kate,' Sayid said.
'Well . . . still, the only reason he killed the polar bear was that it was going to kill us. And the marshal . . . he asked for it,' Kate said, the sinking feeling growing bigger at talk of the marshal.
Sayid looked at her for another few seconds. She wished he wouldn't; she really needed to find Sawyer before he could get too far away.
'I guess you're right,' he finally said. 'I'm just glad this didn't turn out like our last interrogation with Sawyer.'
'Yeah, me too. Look, Sayid, I have to-'
'Go? Yes, I understand. Go then, but be careful,' Sayid said.
'Thanks, Sayid,' Kate said before she took off into the bushes that Sawyer had moved down earlier.
Fuckin' city boy, he thinks he knows everything. Thinks he understands me. No one understands me . . . I shoulda knocked his head clean off, Sawyer thought furiously as he stomped on a limb that was in his way. It cracked under his weight as he kept walking.
Fuck him, fuck 'em all. I don't need none of 'em. I don't-
What was that? his conscience asked.
What was what! Sawyer asked.
That, his conscience said.
Sawyer stopped when he finally heard the sound too. Far off he thought he heard a tree branch or something bigger snap and fall to the ground. The hairs on his neck stood on end as he heard a tree being uprooted and then an eerie roar about 300 feet to his right.
'Shit!' he muttered out loud as the ground started to shake under his feet.
He looked to his right, trying to see if he could see anything. He saw another tree being uprooted about 100 feet away and that was enough for him. He had no idea what direction he had come from. Ever since he left the caves he had been zigzagging in all kinds of directions. He turned to his left and took off running, trying to get as far away from the monster as he could. He jumped over a fallen tree and dodged some bushes before ducking under a dangling tree branch. He kept running, looking behind him to see if anything was behind him. He heard another roar and saw a tree go flying. He kept running like this for only about five minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. His lungs started screaming at him, demanding that he stop so that they could get air. He looked around one more time, knowing he had to stop soon. He couldn't see anything and turned his head back around. At that moment his foot caught a root that was sticking up about a foot from the ground. He stumbled, feeling his ankle give a sickening pop and then he fell over. He managed to land on his back, grimacing at the pain that was shooting up his leg.
'Dammit all to fuckin' hell!' he cried, grabbing his leg in pain.
Well, I'll be damned if I won't be monster chow yet, he thought through the pain as he tried to examine his leg and look for the monster at the same time.
He could tell that his ankle was already swelling. He couldn't tell if he had broken it or not, but with the pain he thought he'd be better if he cut it off.
Alls well that ends well . . . almost, his conscience commented.
Don't you ever have somewhere to go? Sawyer thought angrily.
Better watch out for the monster, jungle boy, the voice said.
I dare 'im to eat me, Sawyer thought back.
'Dammit, you fuckin' monster! You want me! Come and get me, you son of a bitch!' he yelled out in frustration, the painful ache in his ankle growing.
He looked around and realized for the first time since he fell that he couldn't hear any trees falling. He turned his head in all directions, but heard nothing but his own painful gasps for air.
