CHAPTER 14

Sawyer arrived at the caves to see what looked like an uprising beginning to take place. Everyone was talking at once. He tried to make out some of the words and it sounded slightly as if they were trying to find out when the last time Shannon had been seen. Though he doubted they could even understand each other.

"Everyone quiet." Jack's voice rose up over everyone else's. Sawyer rolled his eyes as everyone immediately shut up. Figured they'd listen to the Jackass. Jack began talking again. "Thank you. Now I think we've established the fact most people haven't seen Shannon since before bed last night. Now has anyone seen her this morning?"

No one said anything as they looked around at everyone else. Waiting to see if anyone else was going to say something.

"Well now," Sawyer drawled slowly drawing everyone's attention, "I'd have to say yeah I did see her early this morning. I was with her last night."

"How early, Sawyer?" Jack asked looking as if he expected Sawyer to drag this out.

"Late night, early morning, when it was still dark." It was quiet around him as everyone seemed to process the words and come up with their own conclusion to it. Though it seemed as if almost all of them had the same one.

Most people were throwing disgusted looks his way, Jack didn't look surprised in the least, and Sayid looked slightly pissed. Sawyer's quick glance at Kate took in her standing and looking at him with a look that said she was waiting patiently for an explanation. She didn't seem to be thinking the same thing as everyone else. And it angered him slightly that she didn't. That she knew him well enough to know he hadn't been doing what they thought he had.

"What exactly were you doing with Shannon, Sawyer?" Jack asked.

Sawyer didn't get a chance to answer. "What do you think he was doing?" Charlie said glaring in Sawyer's direction. "You bloody pig. First you have Shannon when you know she and Sayid have a thing. But then you go after Kate when you know she's Jacks."

"Hey, since when am I anyone's?" Kate yelled indignantly while sending a cold stare at Charlie.

"What was that? You, Limey Runt." Sawyer growled; a dark look on his face as he stepped forwards. He ignored Kate's remark.

Charlie seemed to have missed Kate's remark and look as well. "I saw you and her kissing earlier."

An awkward silence fell over everyone as curious glances were thrown Sawyer and Kate's way. A couple of people looked at Jack to see his reaction. He was looking at Kate disappointedly while she was avoiding his gaze by looking elsewhere. Sawyer was still glaring at Charlie unaware of anyone's gaze on him.

"If you're suggesting, you VHI has been, that I slept with Sticks last night." He ground out looking as if he was trying to stifle the urge to pound Charlie into little bits. "You must still be on those drugs of yours after all."

Charlie's face colored with rage, but before he could say anything Sayid spoke up. "Then may I ask what were you doing with her?" Sayid face and voice were calm.

"We were using each other to get off." Sawyer said crossing his arms. Sayid's calm look and vanished and if he'd seemed pissed earlier he was definitely it now. "What do you think, Abdul? She was sitting on the beach last night when I was taking a walk. I joined her. She didn't want to talk. I didn't want to talk. We just sat there. Then she left, and I haven't seen her since."

"She doesn't usually go off like this. I'd be liable to consider she'd gone off somewhere with her brother, but he hasn't been back since yesterday." Sayid said looking around. "I think we should search for her."

"I'll come with." Sawyer said coming towards him.

"I'm coming too." Kate said stepping forward.

"Kate, I don't think that's a good idea." Jack said moving by her side. "Especially after what happened last time."

"Look, Jack. I'll be fine. What happened to me could have happened to anyone. And it's not going to happen again anyways."

"Just think about it for a second. They'll be able to look for her just fine without you. I'm sure you'll be of more use here."

Kate's body tensed and her face slowly started on the verge of angry. "I'm. Going. Jack. You can't do any…"

Kate's words stopped as something hard collided with her head. Blacking out she fell towards the ground, before a strong stopper her descent. Cradling her body and stopping her fall. Shaking the hand that he'd hit her with Sawyer lowered her body gently to the ground.

Jack looked on speechless. "What? What'd you do that for?"

"You seriously thought she was going to listen to you?" Sawyer asked contemptuously. "Maybe in another lifetime, doc. Just make sure you tell her it was your idea when she wakes up. I had nothing to do with it." Standing up Sawyer turned to Sayid. "Get whoever's coming with and let's go find your girl."

She was going to be pissed when she woke up. Seriously pissed. There was always the slight chance that by the time he got back she would have calmed down some. But a voice in his mind told him there wasn't a chance in hell she didn't have it in for him now. He was going to die. Or at least something close to that. Hell, whatever she did would probably be worse than dying. On the whole he wasn't looking forward to it.

Sawyer ducked as a branch the person in front of him let go of snapped back. It whizzed above him barely grazing the top of his head. Slowly raising his head back up he glared at the back of Charlie's head. The Limey runt had probably done it on purpose. Sayid was up the front of their group while Charlie, Sawyer, and Michael brought up the back.

Maybe he should have just let her come along. He doubted she'd be in any danger. It was practically like their trek to the waterfall without the swimming. Sawyer mentally winced as his brain mentioned the lake. It had only been a day since then and he already didn't like thinking about it.

Most likely nothing was going to happen. And then when they got back to camp and told everyone that, she was going to be even more pissed off. She hadn't been allowed to go because everybody thought something might happen to her and he'd be surprised if anything did happen.

But if something did happen she'd get pissed all the same because she wasn't there. She'd probably spout some shit about she could take care of herself anyway and didn't need to be all protected. So basically either way he was screwed. Completely and utterly screwed. Unless of course he could somehow blame it all on Jack. Yeah, that was a good idea.

Sawyer sighed and looked down at the ground. It was official. Next time he'd just let her come. Not watching where he was going he didn't see Charlie stopped ahead of him and his body crashing into him was inevitable. They both almost fell down before Sawyer grabbed a branch and held himself up. He grabbed Charlie who hadn't been as lucky and hauled him up by his shirt before looking around to see why Charlie had stopped.

Sayid had stopped ahead of them. His head was tilted to the side as if he were listening for something. "Hey, Omar?" Sawyer called at him. "Is there a reason you just decided to stop."

"Do you hear that?" Sayid asked looking back at them.

Charlie strained his head to the side comically but didn't seem to hear anything. A second later Michael's voice came from behind Sawyer. "Look, man I don't hear anything. Do you think we should just be sitting he……?" Boom! Michael's voice ended abruptly as a loud crash was heard far off in the forest.

The trees around them seemed to quiver as more crashes sounded. And at each crash on the ground it seemed to be getting closer. And closer.

"Guy's, I think we should go now." Charlie said moving backwards his eyes on the direction the sounds were coming from.

"I think you're right." Sayid said backing up.

"Then what the hell are you all still sitting here for?" Sawyer asked before turning and plunging into the jungle after Michael who'd already left.

Sayid and Charlie were quick behind them. The loud crashing noise seemed louder and closer now. Whatever it was was going faster now. And it was catching up.