Chapter 23 (I seriously never thought it'd get this far!)
Kate took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then followed after Sawyer. The cave went on and on, winding and curving so that sometimes the only person ahead of her that she could see was Sawyer. She glared at the back of his head, hoping he knew just how pissed she was. But he never even turned to look back and make sure she was following him.
Sawyer held the torch out in front of him, being careful not to trip on the irregular, rocky floor, or hit his head against anything that might possibly be hanging down from the ceiling just too low. Sometimes he loved how tall he was, how it made that much more difference with the ladies, but sometimes he hated his height with a passion like right now when he never was sure if he would run into something. Several times during the last few minutes he'd had the incredible urge to turn and make sure Kate was behind him. But he felt it would give her too much satisfation to see his concern, so until now he had kept his gaze ahead of him.
When he finally couldn't stand it anymore, he turned his head barely enough to catch a glance when they went around a curve. But the look on Kate's face brought him to a halt. She nearly ran into him. "You ok?" he asked, trying to hide the fear in his voice.
Kate looked up at him and her sadness overwhelmed him. He wanted to reach out and pull her to him. To hold her, protect her from her fears. But instead he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. She leaned her face into his warm hand and sighed. She looked back up at him and nodded, "Lets keep going. We'll lose the others if we don't."
Sawyer's gaze linguered on her face for just an instant more, and then he nodded and continued on. This time though, he willingly looked back at her whenever the urge struck him. It was reasuring to know she was there, within his reach.
Suddenly they heard a shout from up ahead, "That sounded like Jack!" Kate breathed.
Sawyer looked at her, and then started trotting down the tunnel, wary that there might be danger, but wanting to hurry at the same time. They reached what Sawyer sensed to be the last turn before they would come upon the others, and he stopped. Kate tried to continue past him, but he grabbed her around the waist and pushed her against the wall. "Saw-" she began to protest.
"Shhhh!" And then she could hear what he heard. Some one was speaking. But it wasn't anyone from their group. Kate's eyes widened when she realised who it must be, and Sawyer nodded. He let go of her and crept as far toward the end of the curve as he could without coming into view. He pulled his knife from it's sheath and crouched down.
Then he peeked around the corner. But all he could see was the backs of Locke and Boone. They stood tensely, both with their knives at the ready. But now Sawyer could also hear the speaker.
"Do you want her to die?" The deep voice echoed throughout the chamber. Sawyer could hear some one breathing in sharp, terrified gasps and assumed it was Shannon. "Put your weapons down...now."
Sawyer watched as first Jack, then Sayid, then Boone, and finally Locke all leant forward and tossed their knives to the ground. At one point the men parted just enough that Sawyer caught a glimpse of the man holding Shannon, a knife pressed against her throat. Tears were streaming down her face and she kept whispering over and over, "I'm sorry, so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry."
Sawyer's throat constricted in anger and fear. He looked back at Kate and mimicked what he'd seen. Kate's eyes widened, but this time it was pure hate and anger. She nodded her head, and he peeked back out for around the corner.
"Why?" Jack's voice echoed throughout the narrow passage. "Why did you go with him?" He stared hard at Shannon, pleading.
The man holding her laughed, the sound coming like a clogged drain from deep in his stomach. He pulled the knife slightly away from her throat. Then he put his face close to her ear, whispering to her like a lover, "Why don't you tell them sweetheart?"
Shannon flinched away from his horrid voice and fowl breath. But she stared wide eyed at Sayid. "I'm so sorry. They found me. I was picking fruit and they found me. They said to hurry, they knew where Claire was. He said I could be important." Then she whispered, "A hero." Her jaw clenched and the tears fell harder, soaking her low-cut shirt as they rolled down her cheek and neck. "So I came...here. Then they took me. They...they," she choked on her own words, and broke down into sobbing.
Sayid's face was a mask of horror. He'd only known her for a few days, but he knew he loved her. He looked at the man holding the knife to Shannon's throat. "Please," was all he said. And it was the please that caught the man's attention.
With a fowl grin the man stepped backwards, pulling Shannon with him. He used his free hand to feel behind him, to feel the handle to the door. He laughed once more, that awful gurgling laugh and looked at Shannon. He kissed her neck and then looked up at the men. "We were done with her anyway." And with that he flung the door open, pushed Shannon toward the men, and had the door shut behind him before they could react.
Shannon broke down into a ball on the floor, clinging desperately to Sayid whom she'd been thrown to. He sat on the floor, Shannon practically in his lap, and held her close. He stroked her hair and murmered comforting words into her ear. Boone swallowed and knelt next to his sister. He layed a hand on her arm, but otherwise left the comforting to Sayid.
Jack looked at her sadly and then took a few steps away. He put his face in his hands, and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't realised how exhausted he really was. He stumbled a few feet back the way they'd come and now came upon Sawyer who was just standing up, helping Kate to her feet. Jack's eyes brimmed with unshed tears, but he held them in check. He looked at Kate longingly for a time, and then continued on back towards the way they'd come from.
Kate walked around the corner and saw Shannon huddled in Sayids arms like a child sitting on her father's lap. Kate felt her anger melt away, and a knot begin to build in the pit of her stomach. She ached to be held that way.
Just at that moment, when she was thinking those thoughts, Sawyer wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. She welcomed him. She put her arms around his firm body and squeezed him tightly to her, burying her face in his chest.
