After knocking out Mikhail, they were able to do a more thorough search of the property, soon finding a hidden door underneath a rug. Sayid and Kate got a surprise when they found a middle-aged woman hiding under the floorboards, who attempted to shoot them, but was quickly overpowered. With their newfound hostages kept at gunpoint, the group made their way out of the house, trying to decide what to do with the Others. With their hands tied, they would pose little threat, but by now they all knew just how dangerous the other group could be.

"So, was any of that story actually true?" Kali inquired, keeping her eyes solely on Mikhail, who remained silent.

"You know, that wasn't a rhetorical question" Kali insisted, nudging him in the back with her gun.

"…I was recruited, as I said. But it was not by the DHARMA initiative" Mikhail responded, vaguely.

"And your friend?" Kali asked, ushering over to the muted woman a few paces away.

"Who we are before we come to the island does not matter. Wouldn't you agree, Kali?" Mikhail suggested, with a slight smirk, a clear challenge behind his eyes.

"Fine. You want to talk about the island. Let's talk…how did you get here?" Kali pushed, but Mikhail stayed tight-lipped.

"I was a prisoner of the Others not long ago, Mikhail…safe to say, they didn't exactly treat me well. I've got the scars to prove it. How would you like to gain some scars?" Kali threatened as Mikhail's eyes snapped down to hers, his shoulders going rigid.

"Hey, that is not happening" Kate interjected, coming to stand beside the younger girl.

They were both surprised when Mikhail let out a huff of laughter a moment later, a mocking expression on his face. He composed himself quickly, somehow looking even more smug than before.

"How weak you people are. It is no wonder many of you are not on the list" Mikhail mumbled, more to himself than them.

"What list?" Kate frowned, as Locke approached the pair, eyes narrowed with curiosity.

"The man who brought me here, who brought all my people, he is a magnificent man," Mikhail told them.

"If Ben's so magnificent, why did he need us to save him?" Kate scoffed, only appearing to amuse Mikhail further.

"Ben? Ben is not…I will try to make this as simple as possible. You are not on the list because you are flawed. Because you are angry. And weak. And frightened—" Mikhail began, but Kali was quick to cut him off.

"Sawyer's on the list. Ben told me himself. He's a candidate. Just like you, I assume" Kali pointed out, as Mikhail seemed taken aback for a moment.

"It appears the requirements to become a candidate lessen with every year if that is the case" Mikhail sneered, making Kali roll her eyes.

"A candidate for what?" Locke couldn't help but ask.

"You truly have no idea what is at stake, do you?" Mikhail mocked.

"Mikhail. That's enough" Their other hostage exclaimed, firmly.

"You're not in a place to be barking orders, lady" Sawyer warned, as Kali cautiously approached the older woman, who held her gaze.

"I remember you. You were at the docks" Kali murmured, as the woman nodded.

"I'm sure you remember that day rather vividly" The woman retorted, a slight smirk growing on her lips.

"I'd choose your words more wisely" Sawyer spat out, pushing his gun to the nape of the woman's neck, his jaw clenched.

"If I didn't know any better I'd think you two were trying to antagonise us. Almost like you want us to kill you…something tells me you both know a lot more than you are making out" Kali suggested, watching as the woman's eyes twitched.

"Not that it matters. Not now that we know where your people are" Sayid announced, coming out of the property, holding an array of maps in his hands.

"You are bluffing" Mikhail stated, in an uneasy tone.

"This map shows a place called the Barracks. It's comprised of houses and dormitories, with water and power large enough to accommodate an entire community. Sounds like a place well worth visiting, don't you think?" Sayid grinned.

"There will come a time when your guard is down. And when it is, I will not hesitate a moment before killing you—" Mikhail was cut off by a sudden loud bang, his one eye going wide when he realised what had made the sound.

Kali flinched, stumbling backwards a few steps as she felt something spray over her cheek, her fingers reaching up to wipe the substance away. Her mouth fell open when she pulled back to see blood now coating her fingertips. Her eyes snapped up to Sawyer but were soon pulled away to stare at the motionless woman they had been holding hostage. More importantly, the gaping wound now going through her forehead. The woman flopped to the ground a second later, dead before her body hit the grass below. Kali instantly twisted around to face the direction the gunshot would have come from, raising her gun towards the treeline.

"Get down!" Kali exclaimed; a moment too late.

Another gunshot rang out, as Mikhail stumbled backwards, a bullet going straight through his side. Kali moved her finger to the trigger of her own gun, when the shooter came out of the treeline, causing her to halt. The entire group was too stunned to move as the familiar figure approached them, his eyes on Mikhail alone.

"Boone?" Kali gasped, flinching as the man pulled the trigger on his gun once again, this time hitting Mikhail in the side of his neck.

Sawyer was the first one to react, sending a bullet towards Boone's feet, stopping the younger man from getting any further. Kali's eyes were pulled away as she watched Mikhail drop to the ground, clutching at his throat, letting out a horrible gurgling sound as he suffocated on his own blood. She rushed over to his side, crouching down, ready to see if there was anything she could do when he reached up to grab the collar of her shirt.

"H-he….has to…be s-stopped…" Mikhail stuttered, before his hand flopped to the ground, his body going rigid.

"Who? Who has to be stopped?!" Kali exclaimed, before she saw how Mikhail's chest was no longer moving.

The man was dead. Boone had killed him. He had killed them both. With what seemed like no remorse. Kali twisted around to see Boone had dropped his gun to the ground and was now holding both hands in the air, as Sayid cautiously approached him, yelling at him not to move. Kali slowly pushed herself to her feet, feeling shock taking over her body, unsure how so much could happen in less than a minute.

"What the fuck did you do?" Kali questioned, shakily, as their eyes connected.

"What I had to" Boone replied.

In the blink of an eye, Sawyer suddenly lunged forward with a growl, his fist connecting with Boone's jaw. He then grabbed the younger man by his shirt and began to viciously attack him, his fist growing bloody in seconds. Kali had rarely seen him look so angry, racing forward to stop him from doing any more damage, as Sawyer threw Boone down onto the grass.

"Sawyer, stop it!" She cried, but he wouldn't listen, seeing nothing but red at his point, sending another punch to Boone's bruised cheek.

"James!" Kali screeched, grabbing his arm, which instantly stilled under her touch.

He reluctantly let go of Boone, who flopped down on his knees, spitting out some blood from his mouth. The others were still too stunned to speak, barely able to believe what had just happened.

"He sold us out to Ben. Betrayed all of us, he deserves—" Sawyer muttered, but Kali stopped him quickly.

"Everything he gets. I know. But we need to know what he's doing here" Kali pointed out, as Sawyer clenched his jaw, but nodded, nonetheless.

"Why did you shoot them?" Kali asked, a few moments later.

"It's complicated. Look, I know that's not what you want to hear, but I'm trying to make up for what I've done" Boone insisted, hearing Kate scoff, sending him a harsh glare.

"And you do that by killing our hostages? They have Jack, Boone! We could have used them!" Kate exclaimed.

"Jack's exactly where he's supposed to be" Boone retorted, watching Kate's eyes narrow.

"What would you know about it? Where the hell have you been?" Kate pushed.

"I found what I was looking for" Boone admitted, vaguely.

"To bring Shannon back?" Sayid questioned, unable to keep the hope out of his voice.

"No. Shannon's gone. There's no getting her back, I can see that now" Boone responded, as Sawyer let out a huff.

"And you've reached this epiphany in just two weeks?" Sawyer pointed out, as Boone gave him a confused look.

"…Two weeks? T-that's how long it's been for you…God, no wonder you're so pissed…" Boone mumbled, almost too quietly for them to hear.

"Stop talking in damn riddles" Sawyer complained, looking all but ready to hit the younger man again.

"You still haven't explained why you shot them" Kali insisted, crossing her arms.

"They needed to be stopped. For the island. For the good of our group" Boone told her.

"You are not part of our group anymore, you deluded bastard! You gave that up the moment you betrayed us!" Kali shouted, angrily.

"Kali, I can never begin to explain how sorry I am for what I did, or for what happened to you…but I need you to trust me now" Boone exclaimed, his blue eyes boring into hers.

"I will never trust you again" Kali muttered, with a look of disgust.

"You will. Just not yet" Boone stated, giving her a sad smile.

Just as Kali opened her mouth to question him further, she was suddenly pushed off her feet, thrown forward by an explosion from behind her. She could feel the heat from the explosion as she turned onto her back, finding the house had been blown to hell, as flames burnt away at the structure. She crawled back as the house began to fall apart, beams crashing down onto the grass, narrowly missing her. She flinched when she felt a hand suddenly touching her shoulder, looking up to see Sawyer crouched beside her.

"You alright?" He asked, his tone full of concern.

"Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm okay" Kali mumbled, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

Sawyer let out a relieved sigh, his hand reaching up to brush against her cheek for a moment before he took her hand in his other palm and helped haul her up. He kept his hand protectively on the small of her back, still concerned she had somehow been hurt in the explosion. Out of the corner of her eye, Kali noticed a shadowy figure running away from the scene, causing her to frown. In the blink of an eye, they were gone, making her question whether she was just disorientated.

"What did…" Kali trailed off, as she whipped around to face where Boone had been only seconds ago.

"Son of a bitch!" Sawyer cried, when they saw the younger man was now nowhere to be seen, having used the explosion as a distraction to get away.

"Should we go after him?" Kate questioned, unsurely.

"…No. We need to stay on task. We find the Others. Then we figure out what the hell Boone's got himself involved in" Kali suggested, as the group slowly nodded in agreement.

"Mikhail said he needed to be stopped before he died. Do you think he meant Boone?" Locke frowned.

"I don't know" Kali murmured, biting her lip as she looked down at the dead bodies scattered on the grass.


They soon met up with Rousseau and Desmond who had been waiting at the stream, quickly explaining why some of them had blood splattered over their clothes. Neither seemed overly surprised by the information or that Boone had murdered their hostages. Trying not to think into it too much, Kali crouched down by the river, cleaning her face, grimacing as the water under her fingers turned a slight pink colour.

"Are you hurt?" Rousseau asked Sayid, a few metres away from the stream, not realising that Kali was listening in to their conversation.

"No. But I believe you were right to stay back" Sayid replied.

"I was smart. I have been on this island for a long time. Too long" Rousseau pointed out, as Sayid's eyes softened somewhat.

"I would offer you to join our people, but I know you would never accept" Sayid stated, as Rousseau's lips twitched into a smile.

"Thank you, Sayid…I am glad you came back" Rousseau admitted, before walking over to the others.

Sayid's gaze flickered over to Kali's a moment later, finding a large grin on her face. He approached her with a huff, knowing what she was thinking before she even spoke.

"That was very…tender" Kali exclaimed, as he kneeled beside her, cleaning his hands.

"We were being civil" Sayid retorted, as Kali quirked an eyebrow.

"That was you being civil? How do you act when you actually like someone then?" Kali teased, watching Sayid roll his eyes, a smile growing on his face.

"I believe we have more pressing issues at hand" Sayid suggested.

"Alright. Whatever you say. I'm just pointing out, you don't meet someone like that every day, mate" Kali grinned, pushing herself to her feet, as Sayid shook his head, fondly.

With a mischievous glint in her eye, Kali made her way over to Rousseau, reaching out to touch the older woman's arm, who turned to face her. She could see how Sayid was frowning at the pair out of her peripheral vision, clearly desperate to know what they were talking about. She half debated sending a wink his way but decided that would be too obvious.

"Did you find anything of use in the house?" Rousseau inquired, after a few moments.

"Sayid found a map. He's very…handy like that. A real catch even, some would say" Kali pushed, surprised when a soft laugh left Rousseau's lips.

"I can't say I've noticed" Rousseau murmured, amusedly.

"Well, back at camp, they sure have. He's got all the girls running after him and…this isn't working, is it?" Kali questioned, earning a smirk and a nod from Rousseau.

"You are much better as a leader than a matchmaker" Rousseau informed her, watching a frown grow on Kali's features.

"I'm the last person anyone should follow" Kali muttered, quietly.

"And yet, your friends turn to you" Rousseau stated.

"We're following Sayid's map and you. We need you, Rousseau" Kali pointed out.

"Is that why you sent your friend after me?" Rousseau guessed, quirking an eyebrow.

"No. Desmond offered to go with you" Kali shrugged, watching a look of confusion flash over Rousseau's face.

"…He told me you had asked him to come with me" Rousseau admitted, as the two women shared a look.

"Hmm. Maybe he's got a thing for you, huh? Wanted to keep his eye on you?" Kali said, in a teasing tone.

"I doubt that. He disappeared for almost an hour earlier. I think he went to check on you" Rousseau murmured, as Kali's eyes flickered over to the man in question who was speaking to Kate.

"Maybe…" Kali trailed off, her mind whirring into action.


Later that night they had stopped to make camp, knowing it would be unwise to travel through the jungle in the dark. It was a surprisingly cold night, meaning they needed all the firewood they could get. Kali's eyes narrowed when Desmond quickly offered to get more, seeming far too eager to wander off. Pushing herself to her feet, she decided it was time to figure out what was going on with him.

"I'm coming with you" Kali announced, rushing after him before he could leave the camp.

"I'm perfectly capable of collecting firewood, love" Desmond pointed out,

"With those gangly limbs? I doubt it" Kali mumbled, as Desmond gave her a mocked gasp.

"This is pure muscle, I'll have you know" Desmond retorted, holding out his upper arm for her to touch.

"Whatever you say, Des" Kali grinned, reaching out to touch his arm, but instead giving his cheek a cheeky pat a moment later, making him laugh.

As the pair began to wander off into the jungle, Kate gave Sawyer a hard nudge with her elbow, before ushering him over to the pair. With a grumble, he was quick to stand up and race after them, not liking the idea of the pair having 'alone time' together. Just hearing them laughing together was enough to make his skin crawl.

"Hold up!" Sawyer exclaimed, as Kali turned around, placing a hand on her hip.

"I'm pretty sure we don't need three people to collect firewood" Desmond pointed out.

"I'm coming in case the damsel in distress needs saving" Sawyer replied, slinging his arm over Kali's shoulders, coming in between the pair.

"Hmm. Remind me again, how many times have I saved your ass now?" Kali scoffed, nudging him in the stomach as the group walked away from the camp.

"A few…" Sawyer trailed off, taking a torch out of his trouser pocket.

"…Hundred times" Kali finished for him, a grin growing over her lips, shrugging him off her.

They were both surprised when Desmond let out a laugh a moment later, shaking his head fondly. Kali gave him a questioning look, noticing there was a slightly sad tone to his laughter.

"You got something to say?" Sawyer questioned, shining his light directly into Desmond's eyes.

"You two just remind me of…of Penny and I. That's all" Desmond shrugged, his smile falling a little.

"Who's Penny?" Sawyer frowned.

"His girl. Blonde. Gorgeous. You'd love her" Kali informed him, as she picked up a snapped branch off the forest floor.

"…So, you're a taken man then?" Sawyer tried to clarify, as Desmond and Kali shared an amused look.

"Sawyer, I'm flattered. But you're not really my type" Desmond stated, patting the blond on the shoulder, smugly.

Kali couldn't stop the giggle that left her lips, especially when she saw the slight blush that had risen on Sawyer's cheeks. But it was clear that a weight had been taken off his shoulders, seeming far more relaxed than he did minutes ago. Deciding it was now or never to confront Desmond, Kali came to stand beside the older man, crossing her arms.

"It was really brave of you deciding to go with Rousseau, you know. I mean this jungle is dangerous when we're in a group but on our own…" Kali trailed off, with a whistle.

"Just trying to be helpful" Desmond shrugged.

"Huh. Is that why you wandered off then?" Kali pushed, as Desmond's eyes flickered to hers for a split second, before jumping away again.

"I had to…relieve myself" Desmond replied, as Kali quirked an eyebrow.

"For a whole hour?" Kali huffed.

"I really had to go," Desmond told her, watching Kali roll her eyes.

"I've always been honest with you, Des. Time for you to return the favour" Kali insisted, as he let out a long sigh.

"...You're not the only person I've had these flashes about. Charlie. I see him too. But not his past. His future" Desmond told her.

"What do you mean future?" Sawyer asked, coming to stand beside Kali, having been listening to the whole thing.

"His death. I…I keep seeing how Charlie's going to die" Desmond explained, as Kali's eyes went wide.

"What?! Then why the hell did you come with us? Charlie could be in danger right now—" Kali started, but Desmond was quick to stop her.

"That's exactly why I came. My last…vision, was of Charlie drowning. And there was a man near him. A man with a grenade. And an eye patch" Desmond went on, as Kali and Sawyer's mouths dropped open.

"After we fixed up the van, I had another flash. Of the same man. Except this time, he wasn't underwater. And there was another man there, with a gun. Your friend, Boone. He killed him. That's why I came. To make sure that man died" Desmond informed her, leaving Kali speechless.

"That still doesn't explain where you went" Sawyer pointed out.

"I didn't just see Boone in this flash…I saw your brother too. He was the one who caused the explosion, Kali" Desmond admitted, as Kali ran a hand over her face.

"I knew I saw someone. Jesus. So, what? Boone and my brother are working together again?" Kali questioned, confused.

"Reluctantly, I'd say. They were fighting when…" Desmond trailed off, realising what he had just confessed.

"When what?" Kali pushed, eyes narrowed.

"I spoke to them. That's what I was doing. I told Boone what I had seen him do. And I told your brother about the explosives I had seen in the building, and that it was the computer that set it off" Desmond mumbled, in a guilty tone.

"Why?" Sawyer couldn't help but ask.

"Because I must be seeing these…these visions for a reason. It must mean something. They have to come to pass" Desmond exclaimed, as Kali suddenly realised something.

"Wait…how do you even know it was my brother? You two have never met" Kali frowned.

"I've, uh…I've seen him. In the flashes about you" Desmond replied, a little too quickly.

"Des, what are you—" Kali began, but he was quick to cut her off.

"Are you alright, mate?" Desmond gaped, with wide eyes, turning to Sawyer.

Kali twisted around, a look of horror growing over her features when she saw Sawyer's nose was now bleeding heavily, dripping down onto his shirt. She was quick to reach up to touch his face, as Sawyer wiped away the blood with the back of his hand. Sawyer seemed to have grown pale in just a few seconds, blinking a few times as if he was disorientated.

"Shit, are you hurt?" Kali queried; her tone full of concern.

"I'm fine. It's nothing" Sawyer dismissed, rubbing at his bloody nose.

"We should head back" Desmond advised, as Kali nodded, taking Sawyer's hand in her own and all but dragging him back towards their makeshift camp.


Early the next morning, they were back to trekking towards the barracks, hoping no more obstacles would come up. Kali was still worrying over Sawyer, barely taking her eyes off him all morning as if he was about to drop dead. She could tell it was starting to get on his nerves. He had never had a nose bleed on the island and never mentioned that it was a regular occurrence before they had crashed. Something about it seemed...wrong.

"Stop it" Sawyer exclaimed.

"Stop what?" Kali responded, instantly.

"Worrying. I told you I'm fine" Sawyer insisted, as Kali gave him a shrug.

"I'm not worried" Kali told him, as Sawyer gave her a look.

"Then why'd you have your worried face on?" Sawyer pointed out.

"I do not have a worried face" Kali huffed.

"Yeah, you do. Your nose wrinkles up, and your mouth gets all twitchy" Sawyer teased, watching her pout.

"And now you've got your 'I'm about to hit him' face" Sawyer added, earning a punch to the arm a second later.

"Huh. Guess you're right" Kali smirked, as the pair shared a fond look.

"Would you two stop flirting and keep your voices down" Kate interjected, as Kali pretended to zip her mouth shut.

"Yes, Ma'am" Sawyer saluted, getting an eye-roll in response.

"You're insufferable" Kate muttered, making the two grin.

"Someone's been at the thesaurus again" Sawyer teased.

"I've found something!" Rousseau's voice announced as she rushed out of the treeline, the others following closely behind her.

Kali came to a sharp halt when she spotted what had Rousseau in such a panic. A stone pillar was directly in front of them, over twenty feet tall and with two strange-looking pylons on both sides. There was a strange static sound coming from the structure as if electricity was being pumped into it. Her eyes darted around, seeing the pillars continued as far as the eye could see in what appeared to be a circle. She would put money on the fact the pillars surrounded the barracks. It must have been one of the Others security measures.

"Well, looks like we're here" Locke mumbled.

"What is it?" Kate asked, taking a few steps forward.

"Don't touch it! Don't even go near it!" Sayid warned, grabbing her arm and hauling her back.

"Do you think it's like an electric fence?" Kali guessed.

"A security perimeter. Those sensors on the side would be triggered if anyone passed between them. It's an alarm system or a trap. Either way, we'd be safer going around it" Sayid advised, as Kali shook her head.

"Look around you, Sayid. Do you see any gaps?" Kali pointed out, as Locke took a closer look at the pillars.

"Maybe they're not working anymore?" Locke suggested, as Kali picked up a nearby stone, before tossing it in the air.

It passed through the barrier easily, not seeming to cause any reaction, as the group shared a look. Sayid took the map out of his pocket, wanting to double-check whether Kali was right and there was no way around them. Someone had gone to a lot of work to create the pillars, and she doubted they would have just been left to ruin.

"It seems safe enough—" Kate cut herself off, as a bird attempted to fly through the barrier.

It appeared to freeze in mid-air for a split second, before convulsing violently and flopping to the ground. Kali grimaced as the bird's head all but exploded, leaving a bloody mess on the grass, as she turned to Kate, with an unimpressed look.

"You were saying?" Kali mumbled, sarcastically.

"Alright, so what's Plan B? Assuming we don't want to get barbecued?" Sawyer exclaimed, as the group stayed silent, trying to think of a solution.

"We could go over it" Kate spoke up.

"That could work. Sayid, where's the axe?" Kali inquired, as Sayid ushered over to Locke.

"It's in his pack" Sayid answered, as Kali leaned down to grab Locke's backpack.

"No wait a minute I got it—here I got it" Locke said, in a clear panic as he attempted to grab the pack from Kali's hand.

"What, you got porn stashed in there or something…" Sawyer trailed off, as Kali opened the backpack and pulled out a block of C4.

"Uh, what the fuck?" Kali gaped, her eyes almost popping out of her skull.

"You took this from the house? Why?" Sayid questioned, taking the C4 from Kali's hand.

"You never know when a little C4 might come in handy" Locke replied, earning a scoff from Kali.

"Oh, sure. What could go wrong with carrying an explosive round in your bloody backpack?" Kali muttered, sarcastically.

"He could have a point. It could be useful" Desmond suggested, as Kali gave him a frown.

"Or it could blow up in our faces" Sawyer retorted.

"Enough. We don't have time for this. We need to get over these pylons. Now" Kate all but ordered, grabbing the axe from Locke's open pack.


They made quick work of chopping down two trees and using Kate's rope to tie them together, trying to keep the makeshift structure steady. The entire group then heaved the tree towards the pylons, placing it over one of the nearest pillars, and digging the end of the tree into the ground.

"Who's first?" Locke questioned, wiping some sweat from his forehead.

"I'll go" Kali exclaimed, taking a step forward, but was quickly blocked by Sayid.

"It's dangerous. We don't know if this will work" Sayid pointed out.

"Exactly. Which is why I need to go first. I'm the only one who can get zapped by this thing and get back up" Kali explained, as Kate bit her lip.

"No. I'll go first, I'm stronger than you—" Kate started, but Kali cut her off.

"What, are we gonna' arm wrestle now, Kate? I'm the only logical option" Kali insisted.

"If you make a wrong move, the tree could fall and we will have to start again" Rousseau exclaimed, as Kali gave her an unamused look.

"Oh, so you just think I'm incompetent then, not weak? How reassuring" Kali complained, as she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

"She can do it" Sawyer announced, earning a few surprised glances.

"She could get hurt" Sayid retorted.

"If Kali thinks she can do it, then she can. She's got this, right?" Sawyer went on, as Kali gave him a small smile.

"Look at you being the voice of reason. Give me a hand?" Kali asked, as Sawyer grabbed her hand and helped to steady her as she climbed up the structure.

"Be careful" He mumbled, pressing a quick kiss to the back of her hand, before letting her go.

"I always am" Kali grinned, as she began shuffling up the tree.

It was more strenuous than Kali had been expecting, sweating heavily by the time she reached the pylon, short pants leaving her lips. Taking an audible gulp, she began to slowly inch over the pylon, keeping her legs close together, desperately trying not to touch the pylons. As soon as she was past the pillar, she let out a sigh of relief, turning back to the others with a smug smile.

"You make it look easy!" Sawyer exclaimed as Kali gave him a quick wink.

She then hooked her hands together and twisted around, rocking back and forth for a moment to stay away from the pillar and let go. She managed to land on her feet, almost stumbling forward but catching herself at the last moment. She gave the others a quick thumbs-up, as Locke began his descent over the pillar, a determined look on his face. He made it over the pillar with little issue, but as he neared the end of the tree, getting himself ready to jump down, he let out a sudden cry. Kali's eyes widened as she saw him clutching at his face, almost falling down from the tree.

"Locke? Locke, what's going on?!" Kali called up, seeing how his face was contorted in pain.

"I…I'm fine. I just got blinded by the sun. Coming down" Locke replied, blinking rapidly before twisting underneath the tree and jumping down onto the grass.

"You good?" Kali asked, gripping onto his arm, pulling him away from the barrier.

"It was nothing" Locke mumbled, as Kali gave him a look.

"You look like you're about to pass out" Kali scoffed, as Locke ran a hand over his head.

"The sun just caught my eye" Locke insisted, as Kali's forehead wrinkled.

"What do you mean?" Kali pushed.

"I saw…I thought I saw a light from the treeline. It blinded me just for a second" Locke admitted, as Kali turned to where he was facing, trying to see what could have blinded him.

"It's gone now?" Kali questioned, receiving a nod in return.

"You haven't had any pins and needles, right? No numbness in your limbs?" Kali inquired, a moment later, thinking of what had happened to her when she was stitching Sayid's wound.

"No. Why do you ask?" Locke frowned, confused.

"No reason" Kali muttered, with a shake of her head.


After they all made it safely across the barrier, they continued on their way to the barracks, now on high alert as they knew the Others were likely close by. Meanwhile, Kali was still thinking about the strange events of the last twenty-four hours. First the odd tremor and numbness in her arm, then Sawyer's nose bleed and now the flash of light that Locke had seen. The sooner they got to the barracks and back to camp, the better, Kali thought to herself.

"You're quiet" Desmond stated, bringing Kali back to the present time.

"I was just thinking" Kali shrugged, as Desmond's lips twitched into a smile.

"Care to share?" Desmond questioned.

"These flashes you've been having. You think you're supposed to follow them, right?" Kali suggested, earning a nod from Desmond.

"But you don't know why you're seeing them. What they really mean. What if you're…not supposed to follow them?" Kali went on, as Desmond gave her a look.

"You're saying I should let Charlie die?" Desmond huffed.

"No! Of course not. But…two people are dead now because of your visions. You've changed things because of what you've seen. And on this island? I think that means something" Kali explained, watching Desmond's brow furrow.

"You really think—?" Desmond was cut off mid-sentence by Sayid, who had gone scouting ahead a few minutes prior.

"We're here" Sayid announced, ushering the group forward.

He quickly brought them out of the jungle, keeping low to the ground as they hid in the underbrush, staying as quiet as they could. Kali quickly scanned their surroundings, taken aback as she watched dozens of people walking about without a care in the world, not a single worry on their faces. Numerous houses were facing the jungle, painted yellow and surprisingly ordinary looking. She felt a little sick as she saw a swing set a few metres away, remembering there would likely be children around. Kids who could get hurt if they made one wrong move.

"It's Jack!" Kate gasped, pushing herself to her feet, only to be yanked back by Sayid and Locke.

"Not yet" Sayid hissed, keeping his grip firm on her arm.

Kali followed the brunette's gaze, soon finding Jack running towards them, only to stop at the last second, twisting around to catch a ball that was thrown to him by…Danny. The same Danny who had locked them up for days. Who had played a part in torturing her and her friends. She knew Jack would be trying to play the game, to stay on the Others good side, but seeing him acting so friendly with the 'enemy' put a bad taste in Kali's mouth. A few moments later, she spotted another familiar face approaching Jack, taking the ball from his hands with a broad smile.

"Juliet" Kali mumbled, watching as the woman reached out to touch Jack's arm, laughing at something he said.

"Who is she?" Sayid asked.

"Jack's new best friend by the looks of it" Kali exclaimed, her eyes flickering over to Kate who was gritting her teeth.

"Careful, Kate. Jealousy is a very unattractive quality in a woman of your age" Sawyer smirked, repeating the same words Kate had said to him a few days ago.

"Rousseau's gone" Sayid suddenly informed them, his eyes darting around but finding no sign of the French woman.

They all knew where Rousseau would be headed. To find her daughter, that was the only reason she came after all. Kali noticed Sawyer had tensed beside her, bringing her attention back to Jack who was now standing outside one of the houses, as the door opened to reveal Ben in a wheelchair, a satisfied smile on the man's face.

"Alright, what's our plan…" Kali trailed off, when she saw how Kate was backing off towards the treeline, beginning to load her rifle.

"What the fuck are you doing? You're just gonna' start shooting people and hope for the best?" Kali scoffed, as Kate glared at her.

"We came here to rescue Jack, and that's what we're going to do" Kate retorted, a fiery look in her eyes.

"He doesn't need or want saving, Kate! I told you, he's made a deal and is getting off this island—" Kali began, but Kate cut her off.

"No. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't leave m—us. That's not Jack. They must have done something to him. We know they're capable of drugging people, brainwashing them" Kate insisted.

"He didn't appear to be drugged, Kate" Sayid added.

"I'm not leaving him" Kate told them, firmly.

"You may not have a choice" Sayid pointed out, watching as Kate's forehead wrinkled.

"You do what you want, Kate. But we're going after Ben. We wait till it's dark, we know which house is his now…and we get the answers we want" Sawyer explained, turning to Kali, who nodded.

"That's the whole reason you came, isn't it? You don't care about Jack at all!" Kate hissed, making Sawyer huff.

"I do. But I care about Kali more" Sawyer retorted, as the two continued to glare at each other for a few seconds.

"I'm going with you" Desmond interjected, trying to dispel some of the attention.

"Me too" Locke added, as Kali frowned at him.

"Why?" Kali asked.

"You're not the only one who needs answers" Locke replied, cocking his gun.


Ben's eyes shot open, a soft gasp leaving his lips as he came out of the nightmare that he had already forgotten. His head snapped up when he heard a shuffling sound outside his room, his hand immediately going to his bed controls, pushing the bed into a sitting position. His eyes narrowed as he could see the light flickering underneath his bedroom door as if someone was standing on the other side. He reached out to turn his lamp on, grateful as the light illuminated the room, half expecting to find someone to burst through the door. Suddenly, he felt something cold touch his throat, causing him to flinch, his arm still raised in the air.

"Keep your mouth shut or things are about to get very messy" A familiar voice warned him, as he looked up.

"Kali...don't do anything stupid—" Ben was cut off as Kali pressed the knife in her hand harder against his neck.

"I think slitting your throat might be the smartest idea I've had on this island" Kali snapped.

"Violence certainly does seem to run in your family" Ben muttered, as Kali nicked his neck, causing a line of blood to run down his shirt.

"Enough games. You know what I'm here for" Kali exclaimed, as Ben slowly nodded.

"The cure" Ben replied.

"So, it's true? There really is a way to cure me? I'll be able to leave the island?" Kali went on, as a smirk grew on Ben's lips.

"There's only one thing that can cure you, Kali…and it's in the wardrobe" Ben exclaimed, making Kali frown.

"What?" She questioned, her eyes following his gaze to the built-in wardrobe on the opposite side of the room.

"Open it and you'll see" Ben answered, as Kali's jaw clenched.

"If this is some sort of trap, I'll put a bullet between your eyes" Kali warned, pulling her knife away, and placing it back in her pocket.

Ben gulped as she then took out a handgun from behind her back, and raised it at his head, finding there was no sign of bluff in her eyes. She then slowly edged towards the wardrobe, not taking her eyes off him. Once she was close enough, she reached out with one hand, sliding her fingers between the doors, and ripped it open, eyes widening when she saw what was inside.

"What the fuck?" She gaped.


Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry it's later than usual, I've had a lot of drama going on at work and it's been impacting my upload schedule. I wrote half of this chapter while I was on my night shifts so hopefully, it still makes sense and does not have too many errors, haha. Please leave a review:)

Kz4: I love the Season 5/Dharma initiative storyline, definitely looking forward to writing that! Aw, thank you so much! I always appreciate all your kind words:) I hope you're having a good start to 2022!

Guest: Thank you! I think writing dialogue's is one of my stronger storytelling abilities, haha. I hope you like the new chapter:)

CarmelitaJones: I think Sawyer will always be jealous of Kali and Desmond's connection, haha. Boone certainly has a big part to play in the overall story, but we'll have to wait and see if he makes it until the end. Thanks for reviewing:)

scripturient321: I've loved showing Sawyer's character development through this story and how Kali has influenced some of his core beliefs and emotions. Desmond, Hurley and Jin are such underrated characters, I definitely want to write about them more! Thank you so much! I really try to get into the character's heads when I write and figure out what their thoughts/motivations are. I'm afraid there are only more questions in this chapter, but answers are soon to come! Happy new year!

Giio brasileria: Glad to see your back! This story can definitely be intense to read, and that's not letting up anytime soon, haha. I'm really glad you're still enjoying reading this fic. Thank you for your support:)