Chapter Eight:
Negotiation Doesn't Always Work
Abigail watched as people panicked in the cave. Several people hovering over Kate and Sun, "What do we do?" another yelling, "We can't just sit here!" Charlie made his way through the crowd to stand beside Kate and Sun who was trying to calm the crowd down.
"Hey! Listen! You all need to calm down. We don't even know if whatever it is, is even coming for us." Sayid said also joining the three upfront.
"But that girl. That one that's part of 'em. She said that they were." Spoke up a man in the middle of the crowd. He was in his mid forties and most of his clothes were faded.
"We're not even sure if they're telling the truth."
"I don't think we should be just waiting. We need to get off this island!" Said a woman in her twenties.
"But that raft, they destroyed it right?" Said another.
"We're not going to make it off the island are we?" Sobbed a teenager.
Sayid turned to look at Kate. "We need to get their mind off of this or we're going to have to deal with them, and the others."
"What do you want me to suggest Sayid?"
"Anything." He shook his head trying to think. His thoughts were interrupted by a man who was now standing in front of the four.
"I've got an idea. We give them her." He pointed to Abigail. The crowd moved to look at where he was pointing. "A fair trade. Our lives for hers. She even said so herself, they're not to happy by the fact she ran off."
"We will find another way."
"I think we should take a vote. Who said you were in charge anyway? You're not running this."
"You're all for someone taking lead until they say something you don't like."
The man ignored Sayid. "Let's vote." he demonstrated with his own arm. "Raise your hand if you think we should give them the girl?"
More than half the group hesitantly raised their hands.
Charlie looked over the crowd, "Looks like you've been overruled."
"We're not giving them the girl." His pleas were ignored. The crowd started heading towards Abigail.
"You've got to be kidding me. I guess it fits in perfectly, I got shot, slapped, and I guess this is the perfect ending to one of the worst days of my life." She struggled with the ropes. Her arm was still sore from the gunshot wound Sawyer was nice enough to give her. The crowd was closing in on her, "Listen, we can work things out!"
All of a sudden there was a loud crashing noise outside of the cave. As if a bomb had went off not to far from them. Everyone turned around to look. Jack came in running. "They're here." With that everyone forgot the plan of taking the girl to the Others. It was time to hide. The four that remained on the rocks in front of everyone watched as the people below them panicked.
Sayid and Kate ran to Jack's side. Sayid looked around and then back at Jack. "Where's Locke? Did he not make it?"
"I dunno he just told me to run. And I looked back and he wasn't there. I wasn't going to go back into the jungle alone." He was out of breath from running.
"What'd you see Jack?" Kate said inquisitively.