Monsoon Season

by pacejunkie

Disaster strikes as the island is hit by a raging storm and the castaways become separated. Will they all find shelter and survive the night? Eleven ChaptersComplete fic. Exciting!

Title: Monsoon Season
Rating: K+

Summary: Disaster strikes as the island is hit by a raging storm and the castaways become separated. Will they all find shelter and survive the night? Action/Adventure
Warnings: none
Status of Fic: Completed
Author's Notes/Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story, nor do I own any rights to the television show "Lost". They were created by JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof and they belong to them, Touchstone, and ABC.

Chapter One

Eko took a break from his work cutting trees and sat down on the shoreline to watch the sunrise. He had promised himself recently that he would take the time to appreciate nature more often--sunrises, the sparkling waters, the lush, majestic trees of the jungle. These were sights that Eko had overlooked in his previous life, when he was busy running criminal operations with his fellow warlords in Nigeria. Now, stranded here on this island, God's beauty lay all around him and he was blessed with all the time in the world to take notice. He would not let the opportunity pass.

This morning's sunrise was particularly magnificent—glowing orange and red over a crystal clear ocean that shimmered like diamonds. How wondrous are your works oh Lord, thought Eko, as he smiled to himself at his good fortune to be even a small part of such glory. The air was still. Even the unbearable heat seemed to have subsided. Work can wait.

On the other side of the same beach most people were starting their day. Each day seemed much like the rest. People gathered wood for fires, searched for food, collected water. On this particular morning people were remarking to each other what a calm clear day it was, although they were usually too busy meeting their basic needs to notice.

Jack was no exception. The doctor had already made one trip back from the caves this morning with some fresh water and was about to stop by and check on the woman who had twisted her ankle the other day while jogging on the beach. He was temporarily distracted by thoughts of Ana-Lucia. She, along with Sayid and Charlie, had gone off into the jungle two days ago in search of the balloon their prisoner Henry claimed to have crash landed in. Although the site was a two day trek away and they were not expected back yet, Jack always had a sinking feeling in his stomach whenever any of his people went off on a hike. He had an almost instinctive urge to keep everyone around him safe. You worry like a mother hen, Jack said to himself. They'll be fine.

As Jack began to pack up his bag he saw Kate approaching with an armful of fruit she had collected from the jungle.

"Good morning" said Kate as she tossed Jack a mango. Jack caught the fruit with one hand.

"What are you doing out so early?" asked Jack.

"I wanted to get my climbing done before it got too hot. It's been unbearable the last few days, but today it seems cooler" observed Kate.

Jack nodded in agreement. He had noticed the change in the weather himself and now he looked out at the horizon as he spoke, "Yeah. Do you see those clouds way out there? Sky's dark over the horizon. It looks like we have a storm coming."

Kate turned her gaze towards where Jack was indicating. The day had started out beautiful but now, several hours after sunrise, the sky was taking on a cast the colour of charcoal in a thin line out over the ocean. Kate wasn't sure but the waves seemed rougher out there as well. She turned to Jack, "Do you think we'll need to move off the beach?"

"I don't know" said Jack, "keep an eye on it and we'll make a decision if the winds start to pick up. It's probably nothing, but better safe than sorry. We can always move everyone into the hatch temporarily if we have to."

Kate nodded, her face full of concern as Jack walked away. She couldn't explain why, but she always felt safer in Jack's presence, as if he would know the right thing to do in any situation. If that was the case, thought Kate, then why am I thinking about where Sawyer could be right now?

An hour later and the winds were growing stronger. Rough seas had started moving in toward the shore and people began moving back from the water. Dark clouds were now clearly visible in a line a few hundred yards from shore. The storm looked ominous enough that Jack made his decision. He began telling everyone he saw to start moving in the direction of the hatch, and to pass the word to anyone else they could find. Jack did not want anyone to be left behind. As he was making his way back and forth along the beach, he again ran into Kate.

"We need to get everyone inside the hatch until this blows over. Let everyone know that you can find and then come along." Jack told Kate.

Before leaving, Kate asked, "Jack, have you seen Sawyer?"

Jack paused and looked at Kate before responding. Finally he shook his head, "No, not yet. But I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, sure" said Kate, with little enthusiasm.

The winds were now getting stronger, the sky grew darker and a light rain began to fall. Jack had to raise his voice slightly to be heard over the sound of the whistling winds. He took a step closer and put a hand on Kate's shoulder as he spoke, "Don't be too long out here. Just find whoever you can quickly and then get to the hatch."

"Okay" replied Kate.

Chapter Two

The sun shone through the trees casting shadows in the jungle as Sayid, Ana-Lucia and Charlie made their way back to camp. After a grueling two-day hike to the north shore of the island, they had at last found the hot-air balloon that Henry described. It was precisely where he said it would be, perched in the tree above the grave of his dead wife. However, this did not convince Sayid that Henry was telling the truth about who he was. In addition to the balloon and the grave, they also found boxes of food bearing the Dharma Initiative label just like the food they had in their hatch. Food being so scarce they packed as much of it into their packs as they could for the return trip. No, thought Sayid, Henry knows more about this island than he is telling us. He was convinced of that now.

Food was not the only surprise that awaited them. The passenger compartment of the balloon that contained the food also had emergency radio equipment. Sayid was particularly excited about this find. This was by far the most sophisticated transceiver he had come across, even better than the one that came from their plane. Although previous efforts to radio for help had failed, Sayid was certain that he could modify this equipment to reach out hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles from here for help. He coveted the radio with the care of a parent for his young child as he fit the equipment into his bag for the return trip.

He was so deep in thought over how he would strengthen the signal of the radio when they returned that he failed to notice the change in the weather until Charlie spoke.

"It's getting dark. Have you noticed?" asked Charlie. He never seemed quite sure of himself when he spoke, as he sought affirmation from those around him.

Ana-Lucia nodded and looked up at the sky. They've had plenty of rain on this trip, but rain on the island usually fell hard and all at once in sudden bursts and then stopped just as quickly as the sun shone. This felt different, like something threatening was approaching with intent and precision.

When the other two looked up, Sayid looked up as well, returning from his inner thoughts. "We may need to seek shelter" he said.

"Out here?" asked Charlie, incredulous "Where?" They were surrounded by miles of open jungle, and have seen neither a rock face nor cave since they left their campsite early that morning. They had already been walking for many hours, but there seemed to be nothing ahead but more trees and the occasional open clearing. Shelter would be difficult to find quickly, and they were still more than a day away from the camp, the hatch or the caves.

"I don't know" said Sayid, "but we must keep moving. The weather is changing quickly and the winds are increasing. It feels like quite a storm."

Ana-Lucia stopped walking and looked at Sayid, "We should head back. I think I saw a cave entrance somewhere."

Sayid shook his head, "We shouldn't second guess ourselves. It would be safest to keep moving in the direction of our camp than to be stuck out here in the jungle."

Charlie listened as the two debated their next move. Sayid and Ana-Lucia had been bickering for most of the trip, each one thinking they knew what was best for the group. Of course, "the group" essentially meant Charlie. He was expected to just go along with whoever declared himself in charge at the particular moment. It was getting old. Charlie wasn't going to sit back and wait for instructions this time.

"Look" said Charlie, "We can't waste time arguing about it. Let's just keep going."

Now that she appeared to be outnumbered, Ana fell in line and began following the others as they continued on their way back to camp and in search of shelter. The sky overhead grew still darker until the sun could no longer be seen. Charlie noticed the first few drops of rain as he felt the wind push him along.

Chapter Three

Sawyer glanced in each direction quickly as he walked through the jungle. He was returning from his secret location where he kept the stash of weapons he held and he did not want to be seen. Just yesterday, Kate had returned the gun that she had borrowed to go on the search through the jungle with Claire, and this morning was Sawyer's first opportunity to return it to the gun stash unnoticed. At least he hoped he wasn't noticed. He wondered how long he'd be able to keep this up until someone finally found the stash.

With the help of Charlie, he had conned Locke and Jack into giving up the camp weapons and now they were in his control. It felt good to be the town sheriff. He wished he had the Marshall's badge back, Sawyer joked to himself. One thing was for certain, Sawyer was back on the top of everyone's most hated list. Kate thought he liked it that way. Maybe he did. Sawyer had been full of self loathing for so much of his life that he didn't know any other way to be. He certainly didn't feel like the island hero. Someone like Jack was better suited for that role.

Sawyer continued through the brush when he noticed the winds picking up and the sky darkening. Great, he thought. Sawyer hated the rain, nothing to do but sit and stare at it from inside your tent. Just the thought of it bored him. Sawyer waited for the torrential downpour he had grown accustomed to on the island but the heavy rains did not come. Instead, it grew darker and the winds grew stronger. Something wasn't right.

He continued, pushing his way through the leaves and branches that were now blowing in all directions when he came upon a familiar sight. Here was Hurley, sitting out in the jungle with his secret stash of food. Only this time he wasn't alone. Libby was with him and they were both frantically packing the food away preparing to make their exit for shelter from the storm. They were startled when they saw Sawyer.

"Hey, dude" said Hurley, "There's a big storm coming over the ocean. We gotta get out of here."

"What are you talking about?" asked Sawyer.

"I just came from the beach," said Libby, "everyone's moving off and going to the hatch. It looks like a hurricane."

Sawyer looked up at the sky. The black clouds were almost directly overhead. "We're too far from the hatch, we'll never make it" said Sawyer, "C'mon, we're closer to the caves, let's go there."

As the rain began falling in large droplets, Hurley and Libby made their decision and followed Sawyer to the caves.

Chapter Four

By the time Kate arrived at the hatch door, the winds were so strong that she felt herself being thrown against it. Eko was with her, the last person that Kate had found on the beach. Everyone else had evacuated. She had not seen Sawyer.

Eko took Kate's hand for extra support as the wind gusted and the rain began to come down in sheets. When they had left the beach, the tides were so high that Kate saw twenty foot wave crests pounding the shore. She considered herself lucky to have escaped.

Together Kate and Eko pulled on the outer door. The force of the wind blew the door out towards them and they had to duck to avoid being hit. They made their way in towards the inner airlock door and banged upon it to be let in.

When they got inside Kate was immediately struck by how small it seemed with so many people crammed inside. She had never seen so many in the hatch before. She looked around for familiar faces. She did not see Sawyer or Hurley……or Claire. Where was Claire? She hoped that Claire and her baby were safe. Kate remembered now that she did not see them on the beach.

In the computer room she found Jack and Locke. Not surprisingly, they seemed to be having a disagreement about something. They stopped talking when they saw Kate enter.

"Kate" said Jack, "Did everyone make it?"

"Everyone from the beach" said Kate, "Eko came back with me. But I still can't find Sawyer, Hurley, Libby or Claire. Are they here?"

Jack shook his head, "No." He listened to the wind howling outside the hatch and the sound of the rain as it came down heavier. "But we'll never make it through the jungle now. We'll just have to hope that they found shelter somewhere."

"They could have gone to the caves" suggested Locke.

Kate nodded and tried to hold on to that thought as the hatch creaked and groaned under the force of the raging storm.

People were anxious in the hatch. That was the first thing Kate noticed. She could almost reach out and touch the tension in the air as people spoke in hushed tones, concerned for their tents, their belongings left abandoned on the beach in the race to evacuate.

The next thing she noticed was the stifling heat. With so many bodies crammed inside the tight interior of the hatch, Kate began to notice it becoming warmer. The storm prevented them from opening the door but they had to find some way to get ventilation. Kate went back to Jack.

"Jack, it's getting hot in here. I don't know how long we're here for but people are going to start to suffocate." said Kate.

Jack listened and responded, "go from room to room and find all the air vents you can. Make sure they are all wide open. It won't be much but it should at least get the air to circulate better."

Kate found Eko and together they searched the hatch for the air vents, moving furniture to make sure none were blocked. When they finished they headed back to the computer room when suddenly they were plunged into darkness. People began screaming and Kate and Eko stood frozen.

"The power's gone out!" said Kate, reaching around her blindly for Eko's hand. She felt a large hand touching hers. It was Eko.

"I am right here" said Eko. Instead of adding to the panic, Eko stood silently and listened, trying to make out familiar voices nearby. He recognized the voice of Jack as he tried to calm everyone down.

"It's okay," said Jack "Everyone just stay calm. It's just a power failure. Just sit down right where you are and try not to move. We should be able to get the power back on once the storm passes. All we can do right now is wait it out, but don't worry. We're in an underground hatch and you're all safe."

Just as Jack finished he heard Eko speak. He was trying to quiet the crowd.

"Please" said Eko, "Shhh. Everyone please be quiet."

Locke turned his attention to Eko as the room grew silent at his command. For several beats one could hear a pin drop in the room. Then Locke heard it. At first he was unsure what it was. Then another minute passed and he heard it again. This time he was sure.

It was the counter. Although the computer was down, it was still ticking. Locke felt as though he were sitting inside of a time bomb, and he began to panic.

Chapter Five

Miles of monotonous jungle and there was still no sign of shelter. What was worse was the winds had now reached gale force and it was becoming harder for Sayid, Ana and Charlie to walk. The rains came sideways, stinging their faces like needles. Wind gusts pushed them back so they had to lean forward as they struggled to remain on their feet. Charlie tried using the trees for extra support, reaching and pulling himself along like he was climbing a mountain. The effort was exhausting.

Suddenly Sayid shouted out. He had seen something. "Stop!" yelled Sayid, straining to be heard over the intense winds, "Over there. I see a rock face. Maybe there is a cave or shelter."

Ana and Charlie looked over in the direction he was pointing. They could see it too. All at once, the group turned and headed in the direction of the rock.

They managed only a few steps before a powerful wind gust hit them, knocking them off their feet. As they fell to the ground, Sayid struggled to keep a hold on his pack, but the wind was too strong. If Sayid hadn't been so concerned for his radio equipment, he would have marveled at the sight as the gale lifted the pack and took it away. The bag seemed to take flight, until it landed high up in a tree, almost one hundred yards away.

"No!" cried Sayid, "The radio!"

Before Ana and Charlie realized what was happening, Sayid sprang up and ran for the tree that held his backpack. Charlie watched him go and then he noticed the trees above them. They were swaying madly, and one was about to fall.

"Sayid, look out!" yelled Charlie, but there was no time to escape the falling tree. It landed heavily, pinning Sayid beneath it.

Ana and Charlie looked at each other, then they both got up and ran for Sayid, keeping low, struggling against the fierce winds. When they reached him they found him conscious but trapped by the tree that lay across his legs.

"Just hold still" said Ana. She turned to Charlie, "We have to try and lift this tree enough to pull him out."

Ana and Charlie each grabbed one side of the tree trunk and as Ana counted to three, they lifted with all their strength, holding the trunk a few inches above Sayid.

"Now" said Ana, "Can you hold it there long enough for me to pull him out?" Charlie nodded as he strained to hold the tree. Quickly Ana let go of her end, grabbed Sayid by the shoulders and pulled him free of the tree. As soon as he was clear, Charlie dropped the trunk back down.

"Are you alright?" Ana asked Sayid.

Sayid nodded, his face twisted in pain "Yes, I think so. But the radio…"

Charlie took off his shoulder pack and handed it to Ana. "Can you get him to the rock face to find shelter?" he asked.

"Yeah" said Ana, as she took the bag. "What are you gonna do?"

Charlie looked back in the direction of the tree that held the backpack. "I'm gonna get that radio."

"Charlie!" cried Ana, but he was already on his way. Ana helped Sayid up and put his arm around her shoulder as he limped along with Ana in the direction of the shelter they hoped to find.

Chapter Six

By the time they reached the outskirts of the caves, Sawyer, Hurley and Libby were soaked by the rain.

"We made it" breathed Hurley, "At last." Hurley's brief celebration was cut short by Libby, putting a hand on Hurley's shoulder.

"Wait" said Libby, "Do you hear something?"

The three approached the cave entrance cautiously, listening to a sound that Libby at first thought was a small animal. Only when they got closer did she realize it was the sound of a baby crying. They turned the corner and came face to face with Claire and Aaron.

"Thank God" said Claire, "I thought we were going to be all alone."

"What are you doing here, Mama?" asked Sawyer, "How'd you get here so fast?"

"We've been here all morning" said Claire, "So few people come to the caves anymore I've started coming here with Aaron for some quiet time." She looked around at the rock walls and dirt floor, feeling a bit melancholy as she added, "It's like our nursery. Anyway," she continued, "I heard the storm coming and I got worried, but I figured this was the safest place to be. I decided to wait and hope someone showed up."

"Well" said Hurley, "We're not exactly the Justice League but here we are." He looked around at their temporary shelter. "It looks like we're all in this together."

"Where is everybody else?" asked Claire, as she tried to calm Aaron in her arms.

"They've all gone to the hatch." said Libby, "They should be safe there."

As the others spoke, Sawyer looked around. The caves provided shelter from the heavy rains, but the winds whipped around inside with concentrated force. Also, Sawyer noticed the ground beneath his feet swell slightly, becoming saturated with water.

"We need to find dry land, away from these winds" he decided. The group looked inside some of the smaller connecting caves, feeling for where the ground was dry.

"How about here?" asked Hurley from one of the cave openings. Although the winds were powerful outside, the shape of this cave opening kept the inside calm. They entered the cave and sat against the back wall, listening to the sounds of the winds and the felling of trees. There was a palpable silence as Aaron fell asleep and each survivor contemplated their situation.

"Dudes" said Hurley, "All our tents on the beach are gonna be toast."

Sawyer looked at Hurley and was about to say something when he thought of the gun stash and wondered whether it would be safe. Well, he reasoned, there was nothing he could do about it now. They were clearly stuck here for the duration.

No sooner did Sawyer complete this thought when a tremendous gust of wind entered the main entrance of the caves like a funnel. As the wind pounded against the rock exterior of the smaller cave in which they sat, large rocks tumbled down, blocking much of the entrance, leaving only a small gap at the top.

Everyone looked at each other as Sawyer got up to inspect the blocked cave entrance. He took several steps and then stopped suddenly. He looked down. His foot was ankle deep in water.

"Aw crap" said Hurley as they all noticed the water seeping into the cave between the rocks. They stood as one as the waters in the cave began to rise.

Chapter Seven

Locke called out softly in the dark. "Jack?"

"I'm here, John" Jack answered.

"Do you hear what I hear?" asked Locke, hoping like hell it wasn't as he feared, but to his dismay Jack responded, "It's the counter. It's still counting down." Jack kept his voice low so as not to alarm the others, but still they wondered aloud.

"What is that?" "What?" "That ticking sound. Do you hear it?" "Yeah" went the murmurs "It's just a clock, right?"

Jack didn't know how he was going to explain what was happening but for now the priority was to get the power restored so they could get the computer back on.

Jack considered the timer he could no longer see. "How much time was left on the counter when the lights went out?" he asked Locke.

"I'm not sure" said Locke, "I think it was close to an hour."

Jack sighed with relief. That bought them some time at least. Time to figure something out.

His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Eko, "Do we know what will happen if the timer runs out?"

"No" said Locke, "We came close the other day, though. After the counter reached zero, some symbols appeared in red and black and I heard the sound of something powering up. I was able to stop it by entering the code before anything happened."

"That would be typical of a security system" replied Eko, "Only those who have the code can deactivate the system when necessary" Eko paused, thinking, "Is it possible that nothing will happen due to the power failure?"

"That would not be typical of a security system" answered Jack, "Most have backup power sources that keep them running in emergencies. That's probably why the counter is still working. We have to assume the entire system is still functioning."

"But without the computer, we can't stop it" Locke concluded, stating what they all knew.

The three stood in silence. Finally, Jack spoke, "We can't evacuate from here until that storm passes, so we'll have to find some way to get the power back on. I'm gonna try and find the breaker box."

Jack moved off, groping his way along the wall in the direction of the circuit breakers. Restoring power would be a hard enough task if he could see. In the dark it was next to impossible, but he felt he had to try something. Jack thought of Sayid, and how he had fixed the computer for them before. All at once Jack was reminded of the group that was out in the jungle somewhere caught in a raging monsoon. He thought of all the people who were missing from the hatch and hoped that they found a safe location to ride out the storm. If they had, Jack thought with irony, they were likely better off than we were.

Jack found the breaker box and opened it, flipping switches blindly, but nothing happened. He was about to give up when he heard the sound of the four minute alarm. Time was running out.

Over the sound of the alarm, the noise of the crowd rose. People were frightened, confused. But for himself, Kate, Eko and Locke no one else knew what was happening. Probably best that way, Jack reasoned. He briefly considered moving everyone out of the hatch but the sounds of the storm continuing unabated outside dispelled that notion. It still wasn't safe out there. Just where was safe? Besides, Jack always had a suspicion that nothing would happen when the counter ran down anyway. He would just prefer not to gamble with people's lives. Jack went back to flipping switches.

Suddenly he heard a sound and his heart stopped. He breathed again when he realized the lights had come back on. He didn't know if he had caused it or not but at that moment it didn't matter. Jack ran back to the computer room. Locke was already seated at the terminal when he got there.

"How much time is left?" asked Jack, but he answered his own question when he looked at the timer. Less than two minutes.

Locke turned on the computer but it was an old model and took time to boot up. Kate, Eko and Jack stood behind Locke, waiting to enter the numbers as the clock kept ticking and the alarm continued to sound.

Twenty seconds……then fifteen……then ten. Finally the prompt appeared on the screen. Everyone held their breath as Locke entered the numbers they all knew by heart: 4, 8, 15, 16…then the timer hit zero.

"Locke" said Jack, eyes fixed on the counter.

For a moment, Locke was frozen as well as he waited to see the familiar symbols appear that he had seen before. But instead, the counter spun, then stopped to reveal five blank red squares. Then everything stopped. There was no sound. Nothing powered up. For an instant, Locke forgot about entering the numbers, thinking they had somehow avoided a crisis. They stood in silence.

Then someone spoke from the next room. "Do you smell something?" "Yeah, what is that?"

Their attention was turned to the adjacent room where people began to stir. Then someone said, "It looks like something is coming out of the vent. Some kind of vapour."

Then someone began to cough. Someone else dropped to the floor unconscious. A woman screamed. Jack's eyes opened wide in a panic. A poisonous gas was coming though the open air vents.

"Everybody get to the airlock!" Jack yelled as he ran into the room with his shirt pulled over his mouth, hurrying everyone out. More people fell. Jack's eyes were burning. People helped to carry out those who were overcome.

When the hatch was emptied, Jack raced to the door. He no longer gave a thought to the monsoon. He now was left with little choice. He would have to hope the storm had calmed down enough to allow them to survive outside.

Chapter Eight

Ana-Lucia made a beeline for the rock face that lay directly ahead as Sayid leaned on her for support and limped along. They still had to fight through dangerous winds as the storm continued, with periodic gusts pushing them off their path.

"Over there" said Sayid, "I see an opening."

To call it an opening was being generous. It was really no more than a crawlspace, approximately six feet wide and two feet high, at the base of the cliffside. It should provide enough protection for the three of them, Ana thought, but they'd have to crawl in and lie on their bellies like snakes with little room to move.

Still, it was their only option. They reached the entrance and got down on the ground. Sayid moved slowly, groaning at the pain in his legs as he bent. He thought of Charlie and prayed that he would have better luck than he had in retrieving the radio.

Ana and Sayid crept inside the crawlspace and got themselves situated. Then they looked out from the opening, trying to see Charlie.

Charlie reached the tree that had caught the pack in its branches. It was higher up than he thought. He grabbed hold of the lowest branch, pulled himself up and began to climb. He reached the point where he thought he could get the bag but it was just out of reach. He had to go further out on a side branch to get it. As he leaned out, the tree began to bend in the wind, moving the bag further away.

Bloody hell, thought Charlie, as he struggled to reach the bag and at the same time not fall out of the tree. Just then the tree bent back in the opposite direction and the bag swayed towards him. Charlie made a quick grab and got it.

Carefully he slung the pack over his shoulders and began to climb down. He took only one step and then froze when he heard a familiar noise from the jungle. He looked out from the treetop and sure enough, he saw a wisp of black smoke, then trees being lifted from the ground, and he knew he was in trouble.

Oh that's just perfect, thought Charlie as he scrambled down from the tree as quickly as he could, jumping the last few feet down. As soon as he hit the ground he was off and running. He was reminded of the first time he found himself running from the smoke monster, when the thing ate the pilot. Charlie fought through the wind and rain to reach the rock face, jumping over fallen trees and other debris as he went.

Ana and Sayid heard the sound too but they were unsure of what it was. They kept their eyes fixed on the jungle until they saw Charlie coming towards them. It was clear that he wasn't just running to reach the shelter, he was running away from something.

Twice Charlie was knocked over by wind gusts, but he managed to hold tight to the pack and get back up each time. The entrance to the shelter they had found was now visible and Charlie could make out Ana and Sayid lying inside. The smoke monster was still bearing down behind him.

Charlie closed the distance to a few yards when he felt a sudden powerful wind gust at his back that pushed him with such force that he was thrown against the rock face, slamming into the wall and falling to the ground in front of the entrance to the crawlspace. Charlie lay in a daze, his vision blurred, a bleeding gash above his eye.

Ana saw him fall. She crawled out and got the pack from Charlie's shoulder and pushed it into the crawlspace next to Sayid. Then she grabbed hold of Charlie and dragged him into the opening.

When they were all inside Ana checked for the sound of Charlie's breathing. He seemed semi-conscious. She put an arm around him and spoke, "You did it. You saved the radio, Charlie. You did good."

Charlie made a sound, gave a brief smile and then fell into a deep sleep. The three lay side by side, injured and exhausted, waiting out the storm.

Chapter Nine

"Uh, Sawyer" said Hurley as he watched the flood waters quickly begin to fill their small cave.

"Hurley" said Sawyer, "get over here and help me clear these rocks."

Hurley did as he was told and began moving rocks from the top of the pile that blocked their exit. They worked as fast as they could, but many of the rocks were too big and wouldn't budge. The water rose above their knees.

"We'll never get all these rocks clear in time" said Sawyer, "We're gonna have to climb over to get out." Sawyer turned to Libby, "Libby you go first, then I'll pass you the baby and Claire will go next. Hurley and I will follow you out."

The water was now waist deep. For Claire, who was the smallest, the water was up to her arms where she held Aaron, who began to stir. If the water rose any higher, Claire would have to lift the baby up above the water line.

"Hurry, please" said Claire.

Libby waded through the water to the cave exit and began to climb. She reached the top and swung her legs over to climb down. Before she went down, she looked around her and called back, "All the caves are flooded. We'll have to swim to find higher ground, and the waters are still rising out here."

Sawyer turned to Claire, "Give me the baby, I'll pass him to Libby."

Claire hesitated for only an instant as she looked at Aaron. Then she handed him to Sawyer who held him in one arm as he scaled the rockpile and reached the top. He handed Aaron over to Libby who was waiting on the other side. Then he reached back down to Claire and pulled her up from the water, helping her to climb over.

When both women were on the other side, Sawyer turned to Hurley. The water was up to his chest. Hurley waded over and as he started to climb he said to Sawyer, "I'm not much of a swimmer dude."

"Well now would be a great time to learn, Mr. Michelin Man" said Sawyer. Hurley scrambled up the rocks and rolled over the top to the other side. When they were all safely over, Sawyer followed.

On the other side they saw what Libby had meant. The entire interior of the caves was flooded. It looked like an Olympic sized swimming pool. Beyond the caves the storm continued to rage, while powerful winds swirled around the large space where they all stood, struggling to stay above water. Claire was having the most difficulty, so Sawyer again took Aaron and holding him up, led the way. He looked across the pool and noticed a ledge halfway up the rock face.

"I think we'll be safe up there if we can reach it" said Sawyer, "We'll have to cross the water. Stay-Puff, it's time for your first swimming lesson. Now, the first rule is try not to drown."

"I'll remember that," said Hurley, as he nervously walked into the water to test its depth. He took four steps and then the ground dropped away, and he was forced to paddle. Sawyer followed behind swimming with one hand and holding up Aaron with the other. Claire and Libby were both confident swimmers and kept up alongside. Libby caught up to Hurley and helped him get across.

When they reached the other side they had to climb the rock face to get to the ledge. The rocks were slippery and Sawyer stayed at the bottom to help Libby and Claire make their way up. Waiting to go next was Hurley at the base of the rocks.

"Let's hope you're a better climber than you are a swimmer" said Sawyer, who still held Aaron, and was at that moment wondering how they were going to get the baby up to the ledge. Sawyer could see Claire's face from above and knew she was thinking the same thing.

Hurley managed to make it to the ledge without too much difficulty. They all looked back down upon Sawyer and Aaron.

"It's a shame we don't have any rope or a basket" said Hurley, "we could pull him up."

They didn't have rope but Hurley had a point and it gave Sawyer an idea. He took Aaron's blanket and tied the ends together to make a sling. "Hurley, I'm tossing you the blanket. Take off your shirt and tie the end to the top of it and drop it down. I'll put the baby inside and you can pull him up."

Claire became frightened, "Are you sure this will work? What if it tears open and he falls out?"

Sawyer called back, "I'll be standing here. If he falls I'll catch him. It's the only way." As Sawyer spoke he looked down and noticed the waters rising again, coming up around where he now stood. "We need to do this now."

Hurley looked at Claire and she nodded. He grabbed the baby blanket as Sawyer tossed it up to him. Hurley took the button down shirt he wore over his T-shirt and tied one end to the blanket sling and held the other end. He dropped the sling down. It was high but Sawyer was just able to reach it and put Aaron inside the sling.

"Okay, pull him up" said Sawyer. Hurley pulled slowly. The sling held. As soon as Aaron was within reach Claire leaned over the side and grabbed him, holding him close in relief.

When Aaron was safely atop the ledge Sawyer quickly climbed up. The group now sat on the ledge of the rock wall, surrounded by water, but they were safe and dry. There was nothing more to do but wait until the waters receded and the storm passed.

"Dude, you're a hero" Hurley said to Sawyer.

Sawyer just looked at Hurley and glared. It was the last thing he expected to be.

Chapter Ten

"Everyone, just stay together and stand close to the outer wall of the hatch!" Jack yelled as he ushered the group of frightened survivors out of the hatch and into the storm. Out of the frying pan and into the fire, thought Jack, as he tried his best under the conditions to see to those who were rendered unconscious by the toxic fumes that had invaded their airspace. Rain was still falling heavily and the wind still howled. Kate and Eko were assisting, trying to keep everyone close together and calm. Suddenly Jack realized he did not see Locke.

Locke covered his face with a towel and proceeded to enter the remaining numbers into the computer. Just an experiment, he thought. If it did work like a security system, then maybe entering the numbers at any time will deactivate the system. …23, 42, execute. Locke watched the nearest air vent and waited for something to happen, hopefully quickly. Locke was starting to feel dizzy.

Within ten seconds the vapour stopped pouring through the vents. Then Locke heard the sound of a fan system and the air in the hatch began to clear. Quickly, Locke ran outside to Jack.

"Jack!" called Locke, but as soon as he was hit by the winds outside Locke felt lightheaded and fell to the ground. Jack saw him and ran over.

"Locke, are you alright?" Jack asked.

Locke coughed and caught his breath. "Yes" he said, "I stopped it. I entered the numbers and it stopped. The air is clearing. In a few minutes we should be able to go back inside."

At the moment that sounded like a good idea to Jack. It was still dangerous outside, and if at all possible, he needed to get everyone back in if they were going to ride out the storm. Jack decided he would check the condition of the hatch himself.

"Wait here" said Jack to Locke and he went inside. There was a slight smell to the air but his eyes no longer stung. He heard the sound of the fans and the atmosphere seemed clearer. He needed to decide quickly to get everyone back where it was potentially safe. Jack went back outside to Eko and Kate.

"It's okay. It's safe now. Let's get everyone back inside. I think we'll be alright. Set up an area for the sick and have those people who need attention wait there" said Jack. Eko and Kate started helping and within minutes they were all back in the hatch.

Jack helped Locke back in. His head was beginning to clear. "John, what happened in there?" asked Jack.

Locke shook his head, "I don't know. I thought I knew. I thought I was beginning to understand. But just when I think I do, everything changes again. I don't know what any of this means." Jack noticed Locke becoming agitated, frustrated over his inability to decipher what Dharma, the hatch or the island meant for him and his destiny. Jack had no advice he could offer. To him, it was all meaningless to begin with.

They returned to the hatch together. Jack began attending to those who were sickened by the fumes. Kate and Eko tried to help everyone get comfortable for the night and Locke sat at the computer, staring at the terminal, begging for some sign, as the timer once again began to count down.

Chapter Eleven

Morning arrived and with it came another magnificent sunrise. The wrath of the storm would have been almost undetectable but for the devastation that was left in its wake. Felled trees, destroyed tents and campsites and localized areas of flooding were the only evidence of what had taken place the day before. Survivors began returning to the beach to locate their belongings.

The first to arrive were the survivors from the hatch. Jack, Kate and Eko were on hand to assist and begin with cleanup. More than ever, Jack wondered what had become of their missing campmates.

Meanwhile at the caves, Sawyer, Hurley, Libby and Claire with Aaron were climbing down from the ledge where they spent the night. The waters had mostly receded to no more than a foot deep and they easily traversed the distance of the caves and began the walk back to the beach. They were tired and sore from their uncomfortable sleeping quarters but otherwise unhurt. They walked mostly in silence, viewing the damage around them in the jungle and emerged onto the beach with stunned expressions. The first to see them was Kate.

Kate spotted the group and ran to them. "You're okay! Where were you?"

"We were in the caves" said Claire, and she proceeded to tell Kate how they had survived. Much of the credit she gave to Sawyer. Kate turned and smiled in Sawyer's direction as she watched him walk off towards where his tent had been, avoiding the attention and any unwelcome accolades.

After several more hours of cleanup the beach was starting to look better. Much of the shore had eroded and many belongings had been washed out to sea but people claimed what they could and already tents were being rebuilt. Kate went off in search of food. Jack brought fresh water back from the caves. After seeing the rock ledge that Kate described, Jack could not imagine that four people and an infant had managed to survive the storm from up there. Considering what they had gone through in the hatch, Jack was unsure who had been luckier. His thoughts again turned to the three survivors who remained missing. There had been no sign of Ana-Lucia, Sayid or Charlie.

Late afternoon Jack began collecting dry firewood for the campfires with the help of several others. It would be dark soon, and they needed to get their fires started and make sure that everyone had some makeshift form of shelter for the night. Jack was in the jungle just off the beach chopping felled trees to dry in the sun when he heard a sound in the brush. He looked up to the sight of his missing castaways. They had seen better days, but they were all accounted for. Ana and Charlie were helping to support Sayid, who seemed to have injured his leg. Charlie had an open cut and a bruise above his eye. The three staggered in Jack's wake. They seemed exhausted but Jack never looked happier. He led them to the new infirmary area he had set up on the beach that day and as they all sat down, they shared their stories. Everyone had survived. Now was the time to rebuild.

THE END