The Prisoner Chapter 4, a lost fanfic

The Prisoner (Part/4)

Recap: "A map" Ana said with a smile "A map to his air balloon"

"So you're going to check it out?" Lucy asked "Are you taking anyone with you?"

"I was going to ask Sayid, but you can come if you want"

"Okay"

"But you've got to be ready to leave in half an hour" Ana told her.

"Of course if I was one of them…these people that you seem to think are your enemies…what would I do?" Henry continued "Well there'd be no balloon, so I'd draw a map to a real secluded place like a cave or some under bush…good place for a trap…an ambush; and when your friends got there a bunch of my people would be waiting for them, then they'd use them to trade for me"

Henry watched the effects of these words on John and Jack's faces.

"Good thing I'm not one of them, huh?" Henry added "You guys got any milk?"

Sayid walked ahead, map in his hands. Ana walked a little way behind him. Lucy followed, scanning the whole time for the slightest suspicious movement. Charlie caught her eye and winked.

"Hey, you want some breakfast?" Charlie muttered to her, holding out a papaya.

Lucy took it, gratefully. Her stomach was starting to call her in many different languages.

"Thanks, Charlie"

He grinned at her, making her feel much more comfortable. Charlie was much better company than Sayid or Ana seemed to be. The air had been thick with tension, ever since they'd left the beach. It wasn't really that surprising. Ana had killed Shannon, and as much as Sayid claimed he didn't blame her, but his body language said words his mouth never could.

The rain began to come down in a sudden down-pour.

Ana and Sayid decided between them to split up to cover more ground.

Ana went with Sayid and Lucy with Charlie. Lucy wasn't keen at first. The idea of leaving Ana with Sayid didn't exactly thrill her; in fact it made her almost certain, paranoid in a way; that something would happen. It would either be that Sayid killed Ana or she got there first, but then again, the rumours had gone around that Sayid had been given the chance to kill her before, and hadn't taken it.

Charlie winked at Lucy, and she smiled. He had this charming ability to make her feel safe and happy even when they were surrounded by a strange eeriness and many unknowns.

Jack glared at Henry and thrust a piece of paper and a pen in front of him.

"Draw it again" He barked "The map to your balloon"

Henry began to look worried.

"I was joking…I was making a joke" Babbled Henry "There's nothing out there except my balloon…I was frustrated…it was a stupid thing to say; I'm sorry"

John watched Henry carefully, studying his face. He was scared, any man could see that.

"It's too late anyway" John said after a while "She's already gone, Jack"

Jack half smirked.

"So, what's done is done?"

"That's right" John replied, still eyeing Henry's body language, as if it was some enigmatic code that he might be able to decipher.

"Put him back in the armoury" Jack snapped as he left.

Henry watched Jack exit.

"Why do you let him talk to you like that?" Henry began.

He didn't get to finish, because John sprang from his seat and grabbed Henry forcefully by the collar and dragged him to the armoury.

"Hey, wait I…"

John wasn't in the mood for Henry's excuses or for orders.

"Shut up" He barked at the door as he closed it on the prisoner.

"John, I'm sorry, John?" came the muffled voice of Henry Gale.

Lucy and Charlie spent some time talking as they climbed over and around the untamed mess of under bush, mass of trees and rocky patches.

"So, what brought you here?" Charlie asked "What made you take that plane?"

"Family" Lucy muttered

"Family, eh?"

"Yeah, my aunt is ill, she's got cancer and she just needed someone there"

"So, what happened?"

"I had to get a flight back to university, it just so happened, that I had to make a stop to see my parents on the way back"

"And your aunt?"

"I crashed here, I don't know" Lucy murmured "I'm not sure whether she's dead or alive"

"That sucks"

"Tell me about it" Lucy smirked "So, why did you take that plane?"

"Family"

"Ooo, want to share?"

"I went to see my brother about saving Driveshaft, you know make a new album, do a new tour"

"So what happened?"

"He'd settled down, has a family, isn't interested in the old days anymore" Charlie responded "And come to think of it, I've realised; I'm not either"

Lucy smiled at him.

"Maybe John is right"

"What?"

"The island helps us with our lives"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you realised that the thing you thought you wanted most, isn't; and the island has done many assorted miracles for the rest of us" Lucy remarked

"So what's your assorted miracle?"

"I don't know" Lucy replied "I don't think it's happened yet"

"Well, maybe it's coming soon" Charlie smiled "I mean, I'd say you were due one"

"Thanks Charlie" Lucy beamed, as she slid down muddy slope.

In front of them, there were two sticks, bound to look like a cross.

"Didn't Henry say he buried his wife by his balloon?" Charlie asked

"Well, if this is the grave, where's the balloon?"

Locke was exercising on the bike, left behind in the hatch. He was, as usual listening to the collection of music that served as entertainment in the dank underground stronghold. Locke heard a hissing coming from one of the many speakers situated around the hatch. Locke stopped the music and checked the computer. All seemed fine, the computer seemed normal and the timer was showing 47 minutes to go. Locke stood up on chair and tried to repair the speaker. The loudspeaker's volume changed dramatically.

"Seventeen minutes to lockdown"

Locke jumped.

"What was that?" Came Henry's voice from inside his prison "John, what's the matter?"

The loudspeaker continued to broadcast a message that was barely distinguishable for static.

"Please proceed…protocol…please proceed"

Henry was alarmed by all of the noise.

"John, hey, are you out there?" Henry shouted through the door "What's that noise, John, what's going on…talk to me"

Locke looked around; trying to figure out was going on.

"Will you be quiet" Locke shouted to the door.

"Tell me what's happening, what the hell is…"

"Will you shut up!" Locke yelled.

The loudspeaker continued.

"9, 8, 7, 6, 5…"

"Maybe you should get Jack" Came the quiet, nervous voice of the prisoner.

"I said shut up!"

"4, 3, 2, 1."

Suddenly the blast doors came down. Locke slid across the floor and managed to lodge a crowbar under the door.

"What happened?" Henry shouted, hoping that John could hear him.

The lights began to flicker.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Locke tried to lift the door up using the crowbar, but luck wasn't on his side. The door wouldn't budge.

"Are you still out there, John, John?"

Locke looked at the crowbar, feeling disheartened.

"I'm here" Locke said, a little softer.

"What were those noises, what's wrong; did something…"

"Nothing is wrong" Locke replied.

Locke looked around; he couldn't see any way that he could fix this on his own. He sighed.

"We're locked in"

"What?" Henry asked

"These blast doors came down, the whole living area is sealed off, I can't get out" Locke informed Henry.

Henry thought for a moment.

"Did you try to pry…?"

"Yeah, but I couldn't" John replied "Maybe…maybe if the two of us."

"You want me to help you?" Henry asked, not sure if he understood what John was requesting of him.

"Yeah"

Henry thought some more; maybe they would be nicer to him for good behaviour, but it was his last reward that had gotten Jack and John all wound up.

"And if I do help you get these doors up, then you're just going to lock me back in here, aren't you?" Henry remarked.

Locke felt a little guilty.

"That's right" John replied, as not to give Henry any false hope.

"Then I'm going to need your word, John" Henry answered "I'm going to need your word that you won't let your people do anything to me"

Locke felt a little confused, and his suspicions began to rise.

"Well, if you're who you say you are then what are you worried about?" Came the answer back.

"Things have happened to them…things I have nothing to do with" Henry continued "But they've got no one to blame except for me; So, I'm going to need your word that you'll protect me no matter what"

These words seem to give Locke all the confirmation he needed. Locke got up and opened the armoury door. Henry was standing in the doorway.

"Who are you?" Locke demanded

"My name is Henry Gale, I'm from Minnesota, and I crashed on this island just like you"

Locke thought for a moment. If he made a promise, he always kept it, but if Henry was one of them, how could he make him this sort of promise? But on the other hand if he didn't, there would be no way of moving the blast doors and pressing the button.

"Alright, you have my word" It was a rash decision, but Locke knew to well what they said 'Desperate times, call for desperate measures' and this was one of those times, where this excuse could be applied.

Ana and Sayid were in the middle of the forest. The rain had been coming down in downpour for the last few hours and both were soaked to the skin. Sayid was ready to give up, and he began to grow more impatient.

"Maybe he's wrong, we should search the other side of the cliff" Ana tried to persuade.

"We've been searching for the last three hours, this balloon does not exist" Sayid barked "Charlie…Charlie…Lucy"

Lucy nudged Charlie.

"Do you hear that?"

"Yeah…Sayid"

"Over here, this way" Lucy yelled "Sayid"

Ana and Sayid sprinted towards the source of the sound. They found Charlie and Lucy crouching next to a burial mound, topped with a cross.

"He said he buried her, right?" Charlie asked "His wife?"

Charlie looked around at the faces for confirmation. Ana held out her hand.

"Why isn't it raining here?" Ana questioned

Everyone looked up; above them was an orange coloured balloon hanging in the trees.

Locke and Henry tried hard to lift the door. They managed to wedge a thicker bar under the blast door.

"Let's go, harder" Locke ordered

"I'm losing it" Henry groaned

"The tool box" Locke shouted to the little man "Get the tool box…that'll hold it"

Henry looked uncertain.

"You sure?"

"Get it" Locke ordered, his voice becoming more commanding "Come on, put it under"

Henry let go and ran for the tool box. He slid it under the heavily armoured door. It appeared to handle the strain. Locke immediately began to crawl under.

"John, John, wait don't just…"

The tool box buckled and metal spike pierced Locke's leg. Locke cried out in agony. Henry ran to aid the old man, and tried to lift the monstrosity with his hands.

"You have to stop the door" John winced "Put something else under the door, c'mon c'mon"

Henry ran and found the weights stacked in heaps on the floor.

"Stack them, stack them" Ordered the older man "You have to stop the pressure, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon"

Henry finished stacking the weights and the door stopped moving. He bent down near Locke.

"Alright, let's get you out, come on" Henry said soothingly, as he began to pull out Locke slowly.

"No, no, stop, stop" John shouted to Henry.

"Alright, alright, we'll wait 'til someone comes down, alright" He replied leaning down next to John "It's only a matter of time, yeah"

"Yeah, but we don't have time"

"This isn't real…I was so…he's lying" Sayid stuttered

"So, he was telling the truth" Charlie stated

"No, no he wasn't" Sayid exclaimed, desperately "This is…is…it's too real"

Lucy placed a careful arm on his shoulder. Sayid shrugged it away.

"This can't be real…he's a liar…he didn't know" Sayid muttered to himself "It's a trap…it's a trap…it has to be"

"Right" said Charlie "And the plane full of drugs and the hatch, they must have been traps too, I mean after all they were a little bit of a coincidence"

"Charlie" Lucy warned "Stop it"

"Oh c'mon Lucy, this does sound like the ravings of a desperate madman"

Ana stood over the grave silently, weighing up the surroundings. There was no sign of a trap, or any unusual feelings or silences.

"Let's go" Ana remarked, turning away from the grave.

"Ana, wait" Lucy called "We all go back together or not at all"

Sayid got down onto his hands and knees, and began taking up handfuls of dirt.

"Sayid, what are you doing?" Lucy exclaimed, grabbing his hands. "Sayid, Sayid, stop it"

Ana turned around and grabbed hold of one of Sayid's arms, while Lucy clung to the other.

"Sayid, what do you think you're doing?" Lucy shouted.

The words fell upon deaf ears, as Sayid began franticly clawing at the ground.

"Charlie" Lucy called "Don't just stand there, help us"

"What does it do?" asked Henry, with a puzzled look on his face.

"We're not exactly sure" John replied

"And you push it…"

"Every 108 minutes, yeah"

"How soon does this alarm go off?" Henry quizzed

"Very…which is why I need you to go up through the grate and into the vents"

"Grate's bolted shut" Henry stated "I tried it"

"There's another grate in the pantry" John informed "You can get up through there…take the vent into the dome"

"Maybe we should wait"

"We can't wait; it's going to go off any minute" John panicked "I trusted you, Henry, now you've got to trust me; that button has to be pushed"

Henry looked uncertain for a moment.

"Okay, what do I do?"

"Once you're inside, you'll hear the alarm beeping, and you just have to enter the numbers: 4 8 15 16 23 42, and then you press execute" John instructed "It has to be exactly those numbers in exactly that order; Now do you…"

"4 8 15 16 23 42, I got it"

Henry stood up, and walked tentatively into the pantry. He studied the grate for a moment, considering the best route.

"Can you reach it?" John called

"I think so" Came the reply, as the small man began to climb the shelves. He reached out and tried to open the grate.

"Be careful" The older man advised

But Henry continued to stretch to reach the grate. The shelving gave and the small man fell. John tried to sit up. The small man looked unconscious.

"Henry?" John shouted

The timer began bleeping, and John began to worry.

"Henry?"

Sayid pulled a wallet out of the remains of a body that he had recently uncovered. He opened it and found an ID card. Sayid smirked to himself, and passed it around.

"It might just be me, but I thought that his wife would be a woman" remarked Charlie.

Lucy leant against a tree, sickened at the things she had just witnessed. Ana placed a hand on Lucy's shoulder, equally appalled.

"I told you" Sayid snapped at the three "I told you he was a liar…you didn't believe me…but if it wasn't for…"

"If it wasn't for you desecrating someone's grave we would be none the wiser" Lucy finished

"We would have another Other able to run amok…you do remember Ethan?" Sayid replied "I think you would rather that I dug up a grave, and discover the truth, than ignore my suspicions and allow people to die"

Everyone remained silent, looking on at the rotting remains of the real Henry Gale.

"What do you suppose happened to him?" Charlie asked

"Isn't it obvious, Charlie, he killed him" Sayid barked

"We've got no proof that Henry did this" Lucy stated "We just found a body"

"Yes, the body of the real Henry Gale" Sayid snarled "Doesn't that seem all to convenient"

"But we don't know that Henry did this" Lucy pleaded "There are more than one as we've seen; All he did was assume his identity"

Ana looked impatient.

"C'mon, let's get back and let everyone know" Ana chimed in, emotionlessly.

Lucy looked outraged.

"We can't just leave the grave like this, it's…it's…wrong"

Sayid looked up at the three, all looked in weary agreement. Sayid sighed to himself as he began to recover the corpse.

"Henry, get up, damn it…Henry?" John shouted trying rouse Henry.

Henry began to come to. He sat up groggily.

"Henry are you alright?"

The prisoner rubbed his throbbing head.

"W-what happened?" He asked, feeling a little unsteady

"Listen to me, you have to get up into the vents and enter the numbers into the computer" John initiated

"How long was I…?"

"Please, you have to go now; we're running out of time" John called out desperately

Henry still feeling the effects of the fall and uncertainty of his task, got to his feet.

"Okay, yeah" The prisoner responded faintly

"Be careful" The older man called, hoping that this time Henry would be vigilant.

Henry climbed up into the vent, leaving John with nothing but his thoughts and the sound of the button bleeping more urgently.

Sayid patted the last of the earth down. He stood up looking at the three.

"Are we moving or not?" He said impatiently

Ana got to her feet and Charlie helped Lucy stand up.

"Okay and we're moving" Charlie announced, leading the way.

The rest began to follow. Lucy felt Sayid's eyes bore into her back.

She leant close to Charlie.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" Lucy whispered

"It's it obvious, Sayid's going to take over the law enforcement, and hand-out Henry's punishment" Charlie whispered back.

"But he hasn't done anything" Lucy murmured

"You think you have to do something these days?" Charlie whispered "Just look at someone the wrong way and you're an other or a junkie"

"But he really didn't do anything and Sayid tortured him"

"Lucy, he was caught before he could've done anything, you don't know what he might have done, if he'd been left to his own devices" Charlie pointed out.

Lucy looked contemplative.

The alarm was sounding furiously, and John was on tender hooks.

"Henry, Henry?" John yelled

There was no reply, instead the alarm stopped and John could hear the sound of the timer flicking back to one hundred and eight minutes. There was a sound like something powering up, and the lights blacked out.

"Please say something" John called

There was another noise, and a fluorescent map appeared on the door in front of him. John scanned it, attempting to commit it to memory. The lights flickered back on, and the door began to rise.

"Henry?"

The older man, began to drag himself into the computer room, using his arms.

"Henry?" John called "Anybody here?"

John looked around. The timer read 107.

"Is anybody here?"

Henry walked in behind John. The older man turned to face him.

"You came back"

"What, did you think I was going to leave you here?" Henry commented "Come on, can you stand?"

"I don't…I think so"

John with the help of Henry stood up against a wall.

"Thank you, Henry" John said "Thank you for not leaving me"

The prisoner smiled.

"You're welcome, John"

Sayid was leading them all back; Ana a little way behind him, and Charlie and Lucy side-by-side.

"Well this has certainly been fun" Charlie joked "We simply must do this again sometime"

"Nothing like a witch hunt for making friends" Lucy giggled

They walked through some bushes and found Kate and Jack, standing by a pile of supplies.

"What the bloody hell is that?" Charlie asked

No one answered Charlie's question, instead Jack eyed Sayid.

"What'd you find?"

Henry was helping John to the couch in the living area.

"I've got you, easy, easy" The prisoner comforted, as he carefully placed the older man's leg on the coffee table.

John winced and let out an involuntary hiss of pain.

"Sorry"

"What did you do…what did you do to end it…to make the doors go up?" John asked Henry

The prisoner shrugged.

"I did what you told me to; I punched in the code and pressed the execute button, but nothing happened, other than that clock flicking back" Henry remarked earnestly "I was climbing back into the vent when the lights went out; 10 seconds later the doors went up, I didn't do anything"

"You think it was all just random?" John questioned

"Don't look at me; it's your hatch" He shrugged

Jack entered the hatch.

"Get away from him" Jack ordered from across the room.

"Wait, you don't…"

Sayid aimed his gun at Henry.

"Step back, right now" Sayid barked

"Sayid, it's okay" Locke pleaded, as he attempted to sit up.

Jack grabbed Henry and shoved him hard, up against the wall.

"I said 'get away'" Jack spat

"I let him out…some kind of lockdown or something…he, he was helping me" John explained

Lucy and Ana watched on.

"Couldn't you find my balloon?" Henry quizzed

"Yeah, we found it" Ana replied simply

"We did find your balloon, Henry Gale, exactly how you described it; we also found the grave you described…your wife's grave…the grave you said you dug with your own bare hands" Sayid sneered "It was all there…your whole story…your alibi…it was true; But still I did not believe it to be true…so I dug up that grave and found that there was not a woman inside, but a man"

Sayid pulled an ID card from his pocket, and took great delight in showing it to Henry.

"A man named Henry Gale" Sayid spat