Fire and Ice
Chapter 2
Welcome back
An ear piercing whistle wakes up the beachside camp. Survivors nervously hurry out of their shelters. A few hundred metres away, two figures approach them, one tall, one small.
Eve is trying very hard to stay awake, her and Connor have walked continuously now for two days. "That's the beach site, there are more survivors in the caves." Connor points to it. Eve nods to understand. She has not uttered a word in the length of time that they have been together. "I'll get somebody to get Jack to look you over."
There is not the overwhelming welcome party that Connor expects. None of the bigwigs that the fellow survivors look up to are there, and most noticeably the raft is gone!
People are scared. One of the other survivors, Steve walks over to Connor. Eve, nervously takes a few steps behind Connor. Steve notices this, and stops.
"Hi." He nervously glances at Eve. "How's things." Connor replies.
Steve grimaces. Not a good sign, he motions Connor to sit down. "A lot's happened while you've been away."
I liked Boone. Connor grimaces. Eve is sleeping in a blanket given to her by another survivor. "I take it, it wasn't pretty?" Steve nervously grins. "That's right, man he didn't want his leg amputated." He pauses. "Then Shannon tries to shoot Locke!" Jess, an over excited New Zealand women, butts in. Steve frowns at the interruption. "The raft burns down, Kate then poisoned." Connor raises an eyebrow. "Michael, got found out. He's Built another raft, him, Michael, Walt, the creepy Korean guy, and Sawyer go out, around seven days ago." Jess says this without stopping for breath. Steve takes it as his cue to fill in the rest. "Some French woman steals Claire baby, and disappears into the jungle. Sayid, Shannon, Hurley and Charlie go after Aaron?"
"Aaron?"
"That's Claire's son. They get him back. However at the same time, Locke, Jack, Kate, Hurley, and Arty go to the black rock!"
Oh shit. "Are they still there?"
Steve nods. "I think they've found something. Because Kate went back for Sayid!"
Connor folds his arms, and yawns. He needs his sleep. "Sawyer's place still up?"
"Told us it was your's until he comes back." Connor yawns. He's probably took that bottle of JD with him. "Look I need some shut eye, can somebody here look after Eve here?" He nods to a sleeping Eve. "I'll do it!" Jess eagerly smiles.
"Still the same dump you left Sawyer." Connor grins, at the ramshackle structure. He notices a figure at the edge of it, going through the suitcases that Sawyer seemed to be a genius at finding. A slim figure, it looks like from this distance. Tight jeans, Green T-shirt, just the glimpse of a black G-string, tied back dirty dark brown hair. It's definitely a woman. Connor stops a few paces behind her.
"Hey whatever's in the suitcases take, but at least leave me the bed or what passes for one!" Connor stops a few feet away from. The woman is startled, stops, mutters something unintelligible, gets up and turns round. Connor steps back.
She is tall, creamy white skinned, with sharp and stunning Northern European features, with brown eyes and light brown hair, and a very slender figure. Easy Connor, you remember the last time you judged a woman on looks alone?
"Do you always offer a room in your apartment to a girl you've just met?" Kate smiles, standing in the doorway.
"I am very sorry." She replies in broken English. "I was looking for some of my personal belongings. I think a Sayer, Sawyer had them!" She says. Connor looks around and about her. She has dragged out every suitcase to look into.
"Look – er, I'm Connor!" Connor speaks very slowly in phonetic English. "I'm going to sleep for a couple of hours, you're very welcome to come back and have a look then!" He grins. The woman grins, smiles, and gives Connor the thumbs up. "I will do that…"
"Connor" Connor points to himself. "Svetlana!" The woman points to herself. Connor, grinning like an idiot, gives her the thumbs up too. "See you in a couple of hours Svetlana!"
Svetlana walks away. Connor watches her, shaking his head. Guess everybody has to do what they can to survive here. Nice ass too!
I have a degree in foreign languages, and politics at St Petersburg University. Svetlana mutters in Russian. This ass-wipe treats me like a simpleton. If only he really knew what I was capable of. Svetlana glances around the camp. Where in hell's name could they be?
Whatever she is saying it sounds beautiful. Connor falls asleep.
In the jungle just off the track down to the beach camp, a day sack hangs off a branch of a tree. It has for forty seven days, until a gust of wind snaps the branch and it falls onto the track. It has been torn open in its long fall to earth, and some of its contents have spilled onto the jungle floor. Glittering in the sunlight, diamonds are scattered.
I must be hearing things. There are raised voices, at the camp site. Connor opens his eyes thinking he's dreaming, but a ocean breeze hits his face. He listens in. A couple of survivors are talking, excitedly. Footsteps that are breaking into a dead run. There are louder voices this time. Oh great!
Trouble is brewing. Connor grabs the rifle.
More people are running.
He hears Familiar voice number one. Jack. That means, they're back from the black rock. Pity.
Familiar voice number two. Puffing and panting, like he's carrying something heavy. Definitely Hurley.
A gentler voice speaks. Connor smiles, Rose. How's she keeping?
Another woman's voice now speaks. Connor sighs. Kate. Great.
"Hi Eve." Connor smiles sleepily, at Eve, who is staring at him from outside the shack. She yawns, looking at the ocean. "You stay here for a while, I'll find out what's going on!"
Connor gets up, Eve stands next to him. "I guess we'll both find out what's going on!" He grins.
There is almost pandemonium, as Hurley is mobbed by other survivors. Connor and Eve watch from a distance, adults acting like kids in a candy store. Connor sighs, as Hurley falls on his behind. Eve giggles. Connor watches bemused. From the edge of the crowd, somebody catches his eye. Svetlana is staring at him. He stares at her, she glances away.
"Open your mouth!" Eve opens her mouth and sticks out her tongue, Jack smiles and shines a pen torch. Connor watches from five feet away, chewing on a Candy bar.
"That's you Eve." Eve jumps down from the rock and runs away towards the shack. Jack and Connor watch her.
"Borderline malnutrition, but nothing that can't be fixed. She's in good shape." Jack walks over to Connor. "Everything seems ok."
"Ok for a kid whose grand-parents are lost." Connor checked the flight manifest a few hours ago. "They weren't in the fuselage that was torched. Maybe they were in the tail end" He sighs. "I shot two guys who were chasing her. She must have escaped from them."
"She told you this?"
Connor shakes his head. "Hasn't spoken a dicky-bird in three days."
"Find anything else on your travels?"
"I found another two fresh water streams; Locke was right about the boar they've moved away. Some pieces of fuselage nothing larger than a couple of feet." Jack looks away, the boar haven't moved away. Connor shrugs his shoulders. Jack hands Connor a water bottle.
"You want to tell me about your news."
"What news is that?"
"Tins of spam, candy bars, and tuna don't grow on trees here." Connor sneers. "The truth please."
Jack sighs and tells Connor.
Dharma initiative, an underground bunker and tunnel network, a clock that could destroy the island, Arty blowing himself up, and a mad scientist. Connor walks away shaking his head in disbelief. This place is insane. Sounds like some kooky stunt Stanley Kubrik would dream up. He sits down on a rock. Either somebody wants people to stay away from this island, or somebody wants us to remain here. I hope you're having better luck Sawyer.
Something falls at his feet. Connor sighs, as he recognises it. A family photograph. Oh boy!
"You're back." Kate says from behind him. Connor grimaces. "I'm like a bad penny, I keep turning up when you least expect me too." He turns round. "Freckles!" He mimics Sawyer's accent poorly. There is no smile in return, no warmth in her face. Bad joke!
"I guess you know about the big secret." She walks along side him. "Uh-huh, I'm down to press the button tomorrow." Connor reaches down and picks up the photograph. Kate watches him. "Thanks." He whispers. Kate nods about to say something.
Eve appears alongside Connor, and looks up at Kate. You appear at the most bloody awkward times Eve. Connor scowls.
"Hi." Kate smiles. "You must be."
"Eve!" Connor looks at her and gasps. The first words she has spoken at all. Kate crouches down. "How old are you?"
"Seven." Eve looks up at Connor. "He saved my life."
"Did he now?" Kate glances, at Connor who is now looking for a way out. He sees Sayid and Shannon in the distance. Time now to make my escape. Connor gets up, watched by a curious Kate, Eve jumps onto the rock. Kate sits down beside her, handily holding a candy bar.
Connor watches the two chat away.
To be continued…
