(Author's Note: Thank you everyone for such nice reviews. Really, I'm like a little kid when I read them. I get so excited to write more for you guys and I'm like ooh ooh! Thanks again.

And thanks for pointing out the neurosurgeon thing lol. I'm a moron.)

Chapter 3: The Messenger

Kate awoke abruptly. She had fallen asleep beside Jack, whose eyes were closed although she didn't think he was asleep. They were sitting up against the wall, and opposite them was Sawyer against the other wall, looking at the door.

"Did you hear that?" whispered Sawyer, his eyes not leaving the door.

Not remembering what had awoken her, Kate shook her head.

"They're coming back."

For the first time in a long time, Kate heard fear in Sawyer's voice. His eyes were wide as he stared at the small bit of light coming in through the cracks along the side of the door.

There was the sound of the lock clicking and Jack was suddenly up, pulling Kate up and pulling her over towards Sawyer. Sawyer felt like a chicken corner by a dog in a coop. They gathered together in the corner, waiting.

The door swung open and Tom came strolling in, still wearing his khaki clothes. He had a club in his hand and gave them a cruel smile.

"You two, come on," Tom pointed at Jack and Kate.

"Where are we going?" Jack demanded, gripping Kate's arm very tightly.

"We're going for a little walk. Now come on," Tom came closer to them and Kate retracted beside Sawyer, who put a hand on her back. "Don't make me use force."

"Need help?" shouted a voice from the door.

"Yes," Tom called back, gripping the club tighter.

From the doorway came another man who was slightly larger and built like a building. His arms were huge. Behind him stood the young girl only Sawyer knew as Alex, standing nervously by the door holding a gun.

"The doctor," said Tom simply to the larger man.

He came forward and took Jack's arm. Jack pulled away and the man shoved Kate out of the way to get to Jack. Kate fell hard into Sawyer who caught her. He then moved aside from Kate and belted the large man right in the mouth.

For a moment Kate thought Sawyer had managed to knock this hulk of a man out. But the man simply got up and walked over to Sawyer, returning the favor much more brutally, by hitting him in the crotch.

"STOP!" Kate screamed as the man continued to pummel Sawyer. She went to go forward and Jack grabbed her.

"Let's go!" shouted Tom, grabbing Jack's arm. He pulled him closer and hissed, "Remember our agreement."

"There was no agreement," Jack snapped, pulling his arm away, but he didn't run or fight.

"Sawyer!" Kate shouted, but Jack had turned and grabbed her, pulling her along. "Jack! Stop, no he'll kill him!"

"No he won't," Tom said calmly, strolling down the hallway. "But he won't forget to be courteous anymore."

"Sayid! Come here!" Charlie shouted, his dirty face popping up over the mound. "I found a way in!"

Sayid jumped out of the hole he was digging through the debris and ran to Charlie, who had been digging at a slant. At the bottom of his hole was a large opening, inside of which was mostly dirt. But Sayid got down and looked closer inside, and he could see light and what was definitely the inside of the hatch.

"We need to get in there," Charlie said desperately. "I'm smaller, I'll go."

"No. We don't know the condition of the hatch. It's possible it could collapse once you get inside," Sayid pressed, leaning back on his haunches. "We need to secure it."

"We don't have time! What if Locke and Eko are hurt?" demanded Charlie, his eyes wide.

Sayid looked at Charlie. He knew that Locke and Charlie butted heads, but that Charlie was good friends with Eko now because of their time building the church together. Charlie had done some foolish things on this island, like steal Aaron from Claire and start fires, but Sayid could tell he had a good heart and that was what mattered to Sayid.

"Okay, but let's make this bigger so we can see better," Sayid got down and helped Charlie to widen the hole. Inside was a long passage of dirt before the smaller opening that seemed to lead into the main area of the hatch.

"Okay," Charlie panted. "I can fit now."

"Here," Sayid got up and went over to a pile of tools they had gathered from the other survivors. He picked up a flashlight and hurried back. "Use this. When you're going through try not to bump the sides."

"Whoa," for a moment Charlie looked dizzy.

"What is it?"

"Déjà vu, mate," Charlie smiled a bit. "Of when Jack was trapped in that cave in."

"You saved his life," Sayid encouraged. "Now you're about to save Locke and Eko's."

"Aren't I the little hero of the island," said Charlie, giving Sayid a smile.

Carefully, Charlie got on his stomach. He inched towards the hole and with one last glance towards Sayid, entered the hole.

(off the island, Penny's house)

"Richard!" Penny shouted, hurrying through the kitchen. "Richard!"

"Yes, darling?" a handsome gentlemen came hurrying down the stairs in his bathrobe.

"I'm leaving. You'll watch Georgia for me?" she asked, going over to the playpen and kissing a little girl of only two and a half on the head.

"Yes, dear, but where are you going?" Richard came down the stairs and into the hall as Penny rushed around, grabbing things and getting ready to leave.

"An old friend called last night. I need to meet them in London," she finally found her keys and stuffed them in her bag. "I'll be back by dinner."

"But what about the tennis match? We were supposed to go with your father," Richard picked up the baby and held her. "I suppose we'll postpone?"

"I don't know," Penny looked up at her husband looking disheveled and panicked. In her hand was a picture that she clutched tightly. "I'm sorry, dear, I must go."

She kissed her husband and then the baby again before hurrying to the door. Once outside she pulled out her cellphone and began dialing.

"Yes, Arthur? I want the exact coordinates of that magnetic field you picked up," she said as she opened the car door. "Yes, I'm going to the airport. I'm meeting someone who will take me to your headquarters in Paris. Okay, good. Get right on that."

Starting the car, Penny put her bag on the seat beside her and looked at the picture she had ripped out of the frame this morning. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked at it. Was it possible? Was it possible they had found him after all these years? For a moment she remembered the day it had been reported he was lost at sea, and how much she hated her father for even having that stupid race that he wanted to win. But what was worse was knowing that her father was involved in some kind of organization called Dharma, and that there was the slightest chance in hell that he had gotten Desmond caught up in it.

Pulling out of the driveway she changed into drive and sped down the block just as her phone rang again.

(end)

"Where are we going?" Kate asked bravely, gripping Jack's arm tightly.

"Shut up and walk," snapped the larger man standing beside Tom as they walked. Jack caught glimpses of Alex between the two men. "What are you looking at?"

You're the size of a mountain, it's not hard to miss you, Jack mentally said. He almost laughed at his sarcastic remark but then was scared at the fact that he was joking around at a time like this. He supposed he was going a little crazy.

"Okay, take her in there," Tom ordered.

The man grabbed Kate's arms and she ripped out of them, grabbing Jack tightly around the neck. She was going to die, in her heart she was terrified and knew this was happening. She wanted Jack so badly she could have kissed him right there. Never before had she felt so terrified or wanted someone so badly.

"Kate, just go," Jack pleaded, hugging her back and not trying to push her off. Very gently he peeled her arms from his neck and bent, kissing her cheek. "I promise nothing is going to happen."

"How do you know?" she whispered, trembling with fear.

"I promise. And I never break a promise," he said with strong eyes.

She didn't nod or even agree. The large man gripped her arms tightly and started pulling her back into the room with an open door. Inside Jack saw many shelves. He could see the terror in Kate's face and wanted so badly to kiss her, to hold her, or to even tell her it was okay and that she would stay alive as long as he behaved.

Slowly the door closed and Jack was left staring at it.

"If you tell her what we discussed, they'll both die," Tom breathed beside Jack, his club poking Jack in the ribs. "Now go, in there."

Turning around Jack was lead into the room opposite where Kate had gone. His last glimpse of the hallway saw Alex turning around and heading the opposite way.

Sawyer paced restlessly. They had been taken, but why not him? He wondered if they would kill them. What was the point if they could have just shot them in the jungle? It'd raise fear from the survivors and just end it quicker. Maybe these people enjoyed torturing them, making them sit in this horrible room until they were dealt with.

Wincing, he put a hand to his swollen cheek. The man had only stopped when Sawyer was almost passed out. After many kicks to the ribs, if Sawyer's rib had been cracked before it was now completely broken. It hurt to even breathe as he walked back and forth trying to think of something else other than the pain.

There were footsteps and once again Sawyer froze. He listened stiffly and recognized that they were lighter and quicker than those of Tom or that huge brute that had hurt him so badly. Carefully the lock was clicked and the door swung open.

Alex rushed in and shut the door. In her arm was a small blue bag. She walked over to Sawyer without a word and bent, opening the bag and taking out what looked like a towel of ice.

"For your cheek," she said quietly, holding it up to put it on his face. He grabbed it away from her and put it there himself. "Are you okay?"

"I had the crap kicked out of me by the green giant, how do you think I am?" Sawyer snapped, leaning against the wall then wincing at his ribs. Alex noticed.

"You can't act like you're hurt," she whispered, her eyes flicking to the door. "If you do they'll just hurt you more. They want to keep you weak because they know you're vulnerable."

"Why am I here? I know they want Jack because he's a doctor but why Kate, why me?" he demanded, not speaking too harshly because it hurt.

"Kate is here as leverage for Jack," she said, her pale face glowing in the darkness of the room. "They told Jack if he does anything, Kate will die."

"What about me? Why am I here?" Sawyer almost was pleading.

"I don't know," answered Alex honestly, looking heartbroken that she couldn't answer his question. "I really don't. All I heard was that they know you're tough so they need to keep you weak. They probably won't feed you for a while either."

"Do you know anything about what's going on back on the other side of the island?" Sawyer found himself suddenly worried about everyone else. "Did Hurley get back?"

"I think he did. We had someone follow him to make sure he got back but we're not certain because we couldn't go too far. Something happened, though because your bunker isn't on our radar anymore," she said confusedly.

"Bunker? The hatch?"

"Is that what you call it?" she asked.

"Yeah. What do you mean not on the radar? It's a freaking underground lair!"

"It's gone," she said softly. "I think it was destroyed."

"HOW?" Sawyer burst and then panted with pain and leaned his head back. "I hope no one was inside."

"You care?'

Slowly Sawyer looked down at her.

"Yes," he said angrily, shoving the ice into her hands. "I do."

Alex took this hint and bent, putting the ice in the bag and standing. She gave Sawyer one last look as she turned, her hand on the doorknob.

"You know when someone's nice to you, you should thank them. I could have let him kill you," she said, almost painfully.

"I don't need your help. They'll kill me anyway."

"No they won't," she said positively. "They have other plans for you."

She opened the door and went to step out and Sawyer called out.

"Hey!"

She stopped, looking back.

"Thank you," he grunted.

She nodded and just closed the door.

Sayid watched as Charlie wiggled his way into the hole. His feet were just disappearing when there was a snapping of twigs and someone came crashing out onto the path, falling to their knees.

"HURLEY?" Sayid stared at Hurley who was kneeling, panting heavily, his face pale. He was drenched in sweat and had a look of complete and utter horror on his face.

"Jack, Kate, Sawyer," Hurley panted and he looked near to passing out. Sayid jumped up, forgetting Charlie for a moment, and ran to the man kneeling on the path. Sayid bent in front of him. "Taken."

"Taken? Where is Michael?" Sayid demanded, holding Hurley's shoulders but Hurley's eyes were spinning in his head. He had run the entire way, knowing they were behind him.

"GONE!" Hurley burst in a gust of air. "ALL GONE!"

"Where are they?" shouted Sayid, his fear rising.

"Jack, Kate, and Sawyer," Hurley finally said, catching his breath and looking weakly up at Sayid, "were taken by the Others."

Sayid just stared at Hurley and just as he was about to ask him to repeat it, Charlie's muffled cry came from the hole.

"SAYID!"