Title: Another Day, Brother - Chapter 5

Author: jbdean ©

Rating: G

Summary: Later that night and next day.

Desmond darted back to his cabin to grab his knife and then quickly returned topside. He'd had much more sleep in the past day and a half than he'd had at any one time for years so he was well rested and alert. But he knew, without a lamp he'd have to rely on the moonlight and while it was bright enough, its beams didn't reach into the jungle or shadows cast by the trees onto the sand. So he decided to put himself on deck watch and began his rounds. Starting at the port side, where he had seen his visitors vanish into the jungle, he began to walk toward the bow, then along the starboard side and down to the stern and back up to the port side. He kept this circling going until sunrise, stopping only briefly when he thought he heard or saw something. For most, the next few hours would have seemed like an eternity of monotony but for Desmond it felt good to at least feel like he was out at sea and doing his patrolling again.

Once the sun was up, Desmond hopped off The Nairne and followed the foot prints in the sand that led to the jungle. "I didn't imagine it," he thought to himself. "There was more than one of them and they are people." He opened his switch blade and began to enter the jungle when he heard a familiar sound behind him.

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," the voice called out.

Desmond turned and saw the concerned face of John Locke as he stood, eyes squinting from the sun, with his right hand pointing toward the jungle.

"And why not, brotha?" Desmond asked with suspicion in his voice.

"Well, because I don't think that little knife is going to be much good to you if you come across one of them ... " Locke answered in his quiet, soft manner ending with a smile.

Desmond glanced down at the knife in his hand, its blade was sharp but a knife did limit one in combat making it necessary to be close to one's attacker.

"And what would you suggest then?" Desmond asked Locke.

"Might be good if you came back with me and I showed you some things."

Desmond's posture straightened and he stood firmly in the sand. The last thing he'd wanted was to go back to that bunker and no matter what it was that Locke had to show him, going back there was not something he was looking forward to.

"What do you have to show me, brotha, that you can't say to me here and now?" Desmond was not going to follow Locke without a very good explanation first.

"Back at our camp," Locke began, "there are some people from our flight that just found us ... "

"Just?" Desmond questioned.

"Well, seems they were in the tail section of our plane and the three I told you about that left on the raft ... "

Desmond nodded as he recalled Locke's story of the raft.

"They came across them."

"Out at sea?" Desmond asked.

"No. No, they had some trouble at sea and they came across them when they got back to shore." Locke seemed obviously anxious to get the details over with. "Anyway, they're back at our camp now and I think they can tell you more about what's in that jungle there than I can ... and I think you'll want to know all you can before you head off looking for whomever you're looking for." Locke smiled again.

Desmond took a few steps toward Locke and stopped. "How do you know I was going in there to look for someone?" He pulled the knife up in front of himself. "Just how would you know that, brotha?"

Locke's expression changed to that of someone that knew he had to explain in a way that would make sense to Desmond. "I was watching you looking at the tracks ... from over there." Locke pointed to the vines that covered the exit door to the bunker Desmond had used to get to the beach. Looking back at Desmond, Locke gave a soft chuckle. "You're not as easy to track as a boar. It took me a bit to pick up your trail and I nearly lost you outside of the bamboo grove."

"You're a hunter? I thought you told me you were a box salesman." Desmond quizzed Locke.

"Oh, I am ... was. But there's a lot more to me than selling boxes."

"I'm beginning to see that, brotha." Desmond paused for a moment as he and Locke exchanged stares. Then, without any hesitation, Desmond folded up his knife, put it in his pocket and held out his right hand. "Well, best get movin' then, yea?"

Locke turned and headed back to the exit door of the bunker as Desmond followed him. Then, suddenly Desmond shouted, "Wait!"

Locke turned, "Huh?" he asked Desmond as he saw him running back to The Nairne.

"I need to get somethin' first!" he shouted to Locke over his shoulder.

Locke watched as Desmond vanished below deck and waited until he emerged. As Desmond jumped off the boat and was walking toward Locke, he noticed him stuffing some papers into the inside pocket of his DHARMA coveralls.

"Just somethin' I left behind three years ago and don't plan on ever letting out of my site again."

"Oh ... " Locke replied as he turned and headed into the vines and through the bunker's door.

As Locke vanished, Desmond turned and took a long look at The Nairne. "I'll be back, Luv. I promise. And it won't be another three years." Then he, too, disappeared beneath the vines and into the DHARMA bunker to follow after Locke.

TO BE CONTINUED