Kate glanced at Jack from across the morning fire. He'd been working since the sun came up. The brunette wasn't even sure what for but she knew not to bother him. She grinned and looked away from him as he returned her stare.
She walked over to him nonchalantly. "Need any help?" She asked with interest.
"Um…" Jack stood up and wiped his forehead off with his hand. "No. Not right now. But I'll let you know if I do." He nodded toward the woman.
There was a short silence. "Okay." She said simply. "I'll be around." Then she walked off. He'd been acting strange today. Kate had no idea why but she figured he just needed some space. Sometimes she worried about him.
………
"Vincent!" Shannon yelled. She trekked through the edges of the jungle where she was sure Jack would hear her. She smiled to herself. "Vincent!" She pleaded.
The doctor came into view as he carried sticks back into the caves. She ran to stop him.
"Jack. Thank god. I need your help." She followed him as he walked.
"What do you need my help for?" He asked somewhat annoyed by her.
"I lost Vincent. Could you help me find him?" She waited for an answer in anticipation.
Jack sighed heavily and took a momentary look around. There were very few people at the caves this morning, at least no one that would help the blonde woman. He looked back to Shannon's excited eyes. "Let's go." He gave in.
"It shouldn't take long." Shannon reassured him. She lead him to where she had 'lost Vincent' with a sly smirk on her face.
………
Kate couldn't find Jack at the caves so she traveled down the beach. It was a rather hot day and she could taste the salt in the air.
She started asking around, whether people had seen the doctor or not. The answer was usually 'not'.
"Rose!" Kate approached her. "Rose. You haven't seen Jack have you?"
The dark woman shook her head with regret. "I'm sorry honey. I haven't seen him in days. I wish I could help."
She walked away from the tall dark headed woman. Kate was getting worried. Out of the forty people on the island at least one of them would have seen him. Kate had a bad feeling.
………
"Are we getting any closer?" Jack asked out of breath.
Shannon halted and turned around swiftly. "This is it." She said suggestively. Then she grabbed Jack's shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss.
It took Jack a minute to realize what and still was happening. He promptly pulled out of the display of affection with hast. "What are you doing?" He asked harshly.
Shannon backed away slightly and demurely tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "I like you." She said quietly. "This is the only way I could get you to notice me." She confessed. 'And away from Kate,' she added in her mind.
Jack shook his head. He was more than annoyed now. "Shannon…you can't just…" he moved toward her with steady movement. He wasn't going to hurt her he just wanted to make a point.
"Jack?" Shannon stopped moving backward in defense. Her eyes wide with fear.
The man turned around and saw what the blonde woman was in fear of.
"Hello Jack." Said a voice.
………
Kate sat on a log near one of the fires trailing the beach. It had been hours since she had seen Jack and the worry that had settled in the pit of her stomach was now swelling in her chest.
'Something is wrong,' she thought. 'He's never been gone this long without telling anyone.'
She exhaled comfortably. That's when she heard Shannon.
"HELP! SOMEBODY, PLEASE!" She young woman stumbled onto the beach from the jungle. "Please!" She choked. She was crying-hard.
Kate jumped up to help her. "Shannon? Shannon what's wrong?" She grabbed Shannon to steady her and noticed her white t-shirt had blood smattered on it and the most disturbing thing was a crimson colored handprint already on her arm.
Shannon kept crying. She didn't know how to answer Kate. She didn't know if she could put into words what had just happened. She just kept muttering, "It wasn't part of the plan. It wasn't the plan."
