Chapter 24- Saving Kate
"Is it safe?" Tom asked.
Kate nodded, "Yeah,"
She opened the door so Tom could come out of the closet. "He went to the liquor store…at least he said he did, he shouldn't be back until two,"
"I can't stay that long," Tom said.
Kate nodded, "I know,"
Tom sat down on Kate's bed, "So why did you want me to come over?"
"I'm grounded…and I needed someone to talk too,"
Tom smiled, "Katie's grounded."
"I wish I had just run away when I had gotten the chance."
"One day we'll runaway together."
Kate smiled, "And get married, and have like five thousand kids."
Tom chuckled, "Would you be willing to carry all of those kids,"
"Okay, maybe three." Kate reasoned.
They both smiled, and then looked down.
"Tom what are we?" Kate asked.
"Huh, Katie?"
Kate shrugged, "What are we? I mean are we friends or…"
"Well we're definitely friends, but, I don't know what we are."
Kate got up and peeked out the window. "I always wanted to know what it was like to kiss you."
Tom's cheeks flushed, "Uh…"
"As a dare of course," Kate quickly covered up.
"No, I always wondered the same thing too."
Kate turned to him in surprise. She sat down on the bed next to him, and he sat up. "What do you think about me?"
"I think you're beautiful Katie, I always have."
"I've always liked you Tom, through it all, I always knew I could count on you, and that's always meant a lot to me."
Tom nodded.
As Kate leaned forward to kiss Tom for the first time…his face transformed into Jack's.
Although her dream was disoriented, she didn't pull away. She allowed Jack to kiss her, and relaxed in his arms.
"I'll always be there to protect you, and to listen to you, and even more importantly to save you from him…"
Kate pouted, "Only I can save myself from him...from the abuse, and the constant putdowns, only I can do it Jack."
Jack transformed back into Tom.
"He's here,"
Kate turned to the window in fear, "What, when did he get back!"
Tom got up quickly, "He would kill me if he found me here."
Kate opened the closet door for Tom, "Hide in there!"
"Katie,"
The door opened downstairs.
Kate stared back at Tom with wide eyes, "Tom, I swear you have to hide in there."
Tom hid in the closet without putting up anymore resistance.
Kate's door swung open, she turned to her step father in fear.
"What's going on in here?"
Kate crossed her arms, "Nothing I was just finish…"
"Is that Tom kid over here? The same little bastard that helped you run away."
Kate stared back at him in anger, "He didn't help me, it was my…"
Her step father pushed her out of the way.
"Stop!" She yelled.
He threw open the doors with a primitive gesture, and then pulled out Tom.
"Get off of him!" Kate screamed.
"Shut up!" Her step father yelled. "What the hell do you want with my daughter,"
"Don't call me your damn daughter!" Kate screamed.
Her step father raised his hand and slapped Kate across the face.
He hit her so hard that Kate was thrown onto her bed.
"Don't touch her! Don't you ever lay a hand…" Tom started.
Kate's stepfather then slammed Tom against the wall, "I swear if you ever come near Katie again, I'll kill you."
Kate looked around frantically as a figure slowly made there way towards the closet.
"Dammit," Jack whispered in her ear.
Kate's lips began to tremble as a hand reached out for the closet door.
Jack wrapped his arms around Kate tighter.
The door opened, and a sinister man stared back at them. His gun was already targeted at them.
"Where is he,"
Jack remained silent.
The guy reached out for Kate.
Jack kept his arms firmly wrapped around her. "Kill me,"
The guy let out a maniacal laugh. "You're all going to die, why dontcha tell me where that scum is, or else I'll kill her first."
"I don't know…"
The guy pointed his gun at Jack, and his beady eyes narrowed on him. "I'm going to repeat that, where is Sawyer."
"I don't…"
"Wrong answer," The guy whacked Jack over the head with his gun, and then grabbed Kate.
Kate screamed as he dug his hands into her arms, and then pointed the gun to her face.
She thought about attacking him, but he then pressed the gun right against her cheek. Kate closed her eyes. She couldn't fight him…after all this time running, it was finally over. He had her, and she couldn't escape him.
Jack sat up rubbing the side of his head, and then stared back at Kate and the gun man. "Listen to me, just let her go. She had nothing to do with Sawyer…"
"Shut the hell up," The guy yelled. "What a surprise, I came here to make sure we left no evidence behind, and I found just the people we thought had died in that explosion."
Jack watched from the corner of his eyes as Sawyer slowly stepped into the room.
The gun man pressed the cold metal deeper into Kate's cheek, "Is there anything you would like to say sweetheart before you die,"
Kate stared back at Jack pleadingly.
Jack stood up.
"Hold on, sit back down before I kill you first,"
"Do it, and let her go." Jack ordered.
"Jack, what are you doing!" Kate screamed.
Jack closed his eyes, "Let her go,"
"Jack!"
The gun man dragged Kate towards the door.
Jack's eyes widened as he watched Sawyer raise a vase over the gun man's head.
The gun man sensed that someone was behind him. He turned around just in time to avoid the vase being slammed down on him. He shielded himself by swinging Kate in front of the vase.
"Stop!" Jack yelled.
But Sawyer had been too quick.
He slammed the vase down, and instead of hitting his intended target, the glass shattered over Kate's head. She was instantly knocked out as the vase shattered over her head.
Sawyer stared down at her with his mouth agape. His eyebrows furrowed low over his eyes, and he was frozen in a state of shock. He had missed the man…and he had hit Kate…did he kill her.
The gun man tossed Kate carelessly to the side, her life lifeless body hit the floor with a sickening thud.
Jack ran over to her, oblivious to the fact that a man who wanted them all dead was alive and still carrying a gun. He got down on his knees and then gently placed Kate's head on his lap. Blood was trickling down her face, and her eyes were closed.
Jack stared down at her in disbelief. His hands were shaking as he struggled to wake her. "Kate…"
He had lost all of his sense. All he could see was Kate, facing him, with her eyes closed, and her mouth partially open, he couldn't even tell if she was breathing.
Sawyer and the gun man started to fight in the back.
But Jack didn't care, sweat and tears started to drip down his face. The back of his hand was covered with Kate's blood. She was bleeding. He had to stop the bleeding.
Jack bent down to make sure Kate was still breathing.
Her breaths were weak, and each one seemed to grow fainter.
"Kate, stay with me, please…" He whispered.
Kate's eyes slowly fluttered open. Her vision was growing blurry, and she felt so weak. Sawyer had slammed the vase down on her with so much force. Her eyes closed as she felt Jack staring down at her with love in his eyes.
She could see that he was crying. She wanted to wipe away every tear, but she was feeling too weak.
Kate shivered. She was starting to grow cold.
Jack wrapped his arms around her, and was careful not to move her. "Kate…stay with me,"
"I…Jack, what are we going to do…"
"Kate, stay with me…"
Sawyer wrestled the gun out of the other guys' hand.
As soon as Sawyer had the gun, the other man hurled himself into Sawyer's stomach.
Sawyer let out a grunt as he was slammed against the wall.
"You think you're going to get off so easy, after what you did!" His attacker then kneed Sawyer in the stomach.
Sawyer doubled over in pain. All he could think about was Kate, and slamming that vase down on her by accident.
Sawyer tried to steady the gun in his hand so he could get a good shot, but his attacker was now punching him in the stomach.
Sawyer winced as the pain surged throughout his body. He tried to call out for Jack to help him, but no words were coming from his mouth, because the beating was so severe.
The guy grabbed him by the shoulders, and then threw Sawyer onto a coffee table.
Sawyer fell backwards, his hip bone slammed against the edge and he yelled out in pain. As he struggled to get up, the guy grabbed him by his long dirty blonde hair and then pressed the gun to his temples.
"I'm glad it's going to be me that gets to kill you, after what you did to me, and my family it should be no one else…how poetic this is. First you kill that girl that you care about…"
"She's not dead…" Sawyer winced in pain.
His attacker jammed his knee into Sawyer's back.
Sawyer groaned. His body couldn't take anymore of the abuse.
"You're a disgrace, and a good for nothing piece of shit. I'm gonna put you out of your misery, and rest this once and for all." He got ready to shoot him.
Sawyer clenched his jaw, as he felt the cold gun pressed against his face.
"I have to get you to a hospital," Jack said with a robotic expression on his face.
Kate winced as the pain surged through her head. She felt as if a heavy crate had just landed on her head, and was crushing it. Kate let out a low moan.
Jack squeezed her hand, "I'm not going to let you go."
"Sawyer," Kate whispered.
"He's fine…"
Jack stared down at all the blood Kate had lost. His eyes were wide, and his expression was fixed in fear. "You're not going to die…you hear me Kate,"
"I've lost too much blood, and if you…"
"Kate," He said.
"Jack, I love you," She whispered.
Jack started to hyperventilate as he brought Kate closer to him. He pulled off his shirt, and pressed it firmly against Kate's wound. "You're not going to die on me…I'm not going to lose you, like everyone else. Stay with me Kate! Dammit stay with me!"
"He…Help Sawyer," She whispered weakly.
"No, I'm not going to leave you," Jack said shaking his head back and forth, as he pressed down harder on the wound with his shirt.
Kate used a great deal of energy to place her hand against Jack's face, "I'll be here when you get back,"
"I'm not leaving you."
"Jack, please," Kate cried.
"No," Jack said stubbornly. "We need to get you help…"
"They'll catch me…I would rather die, than spend the rest…"
"Kate…"
Jack heard Sawyer yell.
Kate stared back at him pleadingly.
He leaned forward to kiss her, "Hold onto that…I'll be right back,"
Kate grabbed his shirt, "Jack…please be careful,"
Jack left Kate, with his heart in his throat and feeling as if he was making the wrong decision. What if she died. Jack shook his head, What if he failed her, how could he live with that decision. How could he?
Jack saw the gun man with Sawyer forcefully on the ground, and the gun pointed at him. As he stepped forward cautiously. His foot brushed against Sawyer's gun.
Jack clenched his jaw.
"Any last words," Sawyer's attacker chanted.
Jack could see Kate in the back of his mind. It had been the gun man that had turned Kate around to get the impact of the vase. It was the gun man, that had put them in this situation. It was him that had forced him to leave Kate, so vulnerable, and bleeding profusely.
Jack picked up the gun. He didn't know how to use it, but all he could think about was Kate, and getting back to her.
Jack somehow managed to turn off the safety, and then he pointed the gun.
The attacker turned to him in slow motion. His eyes widened, and then he raised his gun to shoot Jack.
But Jack had already fired. He somehow managed to shoot the guy. The gun dropped from Jack's hand.
As Sawyer's attacker fell back wards, with wide eyes. His hands were clutching his heart. Sawyer moved out of the way, as the guy struggled on the floor.
Jack didn't have time to think about what he did. He had just killed a guy. He was going to have to deal with it eventually, but right now all he could focus on was Kate. Jack ran back into the room.
Kate was still, and lying in a small puddle of blood.
Jack carefully picked her up in his arms, he placed his hand over hers, keeping his shirt on her wound. He couldn't allow himself to panic even though that's what he wanted to do. He couldn't panic.
As Jack carried Kate towards the den with care because of her head, he glanced towards Sawyer. "Help me Dammit!"
Sawyer grabbed the keys, "You can't take her to the hospital,"
"Well I can't just let her die either,"
Sawyer ran towards Jack, he looked down at Kate, "I did this to her, I can't do shit right…and you're not taking her to the hospital…we got to get out of here,"
Kate started to stir in Jack's arms.
"Well give me a better suggestion, she lost a lot of blood,"
"It could've been worse..." Sawyer opened up the truck. "Get in, and be careful with her, I have a better idea."
Jack gently carried Kate into the truck. He sat down and rested her head on his lap.
"She's going to be okay, we just got to get her out of here, before more of them come…or the cops,"
Jack watched Kate's lips partially open. He checked to see if she was breathing. Her breathing had grown steadier. It seemed like she was going to be okay, and she wasn't bleeding as much as before.
"I feel like she's gonna hate me, when she fully comes too. I would never hurt her," Sawyer said.
Jack remained silent.
"And to think you wanted to bring er' to the hospital…Jacks, you gotta think straight."
Jack stared at Sawyer blankly, "How the hell am I to think straight after Kate nearly died…and I killed a man."
Sawyer stared straight ahead, "There's gonna be hell to pay, we killed one of their own."
"I did," Jack said with a clenched jaw.
"Are you on the verge of another breakdown because if you are…"
"I killed a man," Jack mumbled.
(Thanks guys for the reviews as always.)
Bwcheer…aww, thanks a lot. And I do love the cliffhangers.
October Sky, of course more fights are coming.
And thanks to Rain 1657, Orlando-crazy, and Kristen…you'll are great.
And I think they are going to head to North Carolina next…