The Prisoner (Part/6)
Recap: "I hate keeping things from people" Lucy explained "It feels like I'm lying all the time and I hate that feeling"
"Lying?"
"Yeah, lying, Jack" Lucy replied "You know that thing where you say something that isn't true…it's called a lie"
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"This place?" Henry looked confused "This place is a joke, John"
"What are you talking about?" John queried
"I crawled through your vents, I stood at your computer as the alarm beeped…and you know what happened; the timer went all the way down to zero, and then some funny red pictures flipped up in its place; they looked like hieroglyphics, but I'm no expert" Henry told John, earnestly "Then things got real interesting; there was a loud clunking and a hum like a magnet…a big magnet; it was really very frightening…and you know what happened next?"
Henry looked deep into John's eyes.
"Nothing happened, John, nothing happened at all; your timer just flipped back to 108" Henry maintained eye contact with John "I never entered the numbers; I never pressed the button"
"You're lying" John accused
"No" Henry replied "I'm done lying"
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Jack opened the door and held it for Lucy.
"After you" He beamed
"Is this your attempt at being gentlemanly?" Lucy asked with a wide grin.
"Who says I'm not gentlemanly?" Jack replied, as Lucy walked past him.
Lucy walked into the living area and Jack followed her. The alarm was beeping urgently. Lucy gave Jack a confused look. Jack entered the computer room, to see John sitting at the computer.
"Hey, you going to get that?" He inquired
John began to hit the buttons reluctantly. Jack exited and headed toward the armoury; where Ana and Lucy were waiting for him.
"When's the last time you went to see him?" Jack questioned Ana.
"A few hours ago" She replied "He was sleeping"
"Did he eat?"
"No…it's two days now; no food, no water, nothing to say" Ana informed
"I don't know about you, but I'm tired of waiting" Jack answered
Jack didn't wait for a response. He entered the armoury, where the man they had known as Henry Gale was sitting.
"I hear you've lost your appetite" Jack stated to Henry, who didn't respond "Okay, don't talk, I was never any good at bedside manner anyway; I'm going to change that dressing on your shoulder…if you try anything we have a problem"
Jack began to peel away the dressing from Henry's bruised shoulder. Lucy handed him a clean bandage.
"So Henry…I was thinking about something you said before we found out who you are" Jack said, as if trying to make conversation "This is going to sting"
Jack put some disinfectant on a piece of cloth and began cleansing the wound. Henry flinched and let out an involuntary hiss of pain.
"Yeah, you were saying that if you were one of them you'd lead us into a trap, capture our people and force a trade…us for you" Jack continued "Pretty good idea, Henry, and since you are one of them, I thought now might be a good time to use it; I'm going out to that line we're not supposed to cross and telling them we've got you, and if they want you back…it's going to cost them, and when we get Walt back…you might just have been worth all the trouble"
Henry made an exhaling sound that sounded like he might have said something. Jack spun around to look at Henry.
"Did you say something?" Jack asked
"They'll never give you Walt" Henry stated
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Jack started getting some things together in a backpack, while Lucy and Ana observed.
"I'm not sure trading people is their thing" Ana told him
"Well, talking to him is getting us nowhere" Jack replied, with a shrug "So…I think I can get something for him"
"You want me to come with you?" Ana asked
Jack looked over at Locke.
"You need stay here" He answered
Ana made eye contact with him for a moment, then out of her back pocket she pulled out her gun and put it in his hands.
"You need it more than I do" She informed him "Do yourself a favour, man; don't go out there alone"
"Alright"
He pulled the bag on his shoulder, and headed for the door. Lucy followed.
"Hey" she called out after him
Jack turned around to see her standing there, one hand on her hip.
"Yeah?" He responded
"You want me to go, and you can't use Locke as an excuse; he only needs one babysitter…if one at all" She replied
"It's okay; I got it covered"
"You sure?" She asked "It's not like I've got anywhere to go"
"It's okay, I can handle it" He said a little agitated
"Fine" Lucy answered and headed back to the interior of the swan.
"Lucy?"
She stopped and turned on her heels; she looked at him
"I want to say thanks for offering" He explained "I just have someone in mind"
"Whatever"
"I'll see you soon" He told her
"Yeah, see you later"
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John was sat by the computer, racking his brain trying to remember the map he had seen on the blast door. He scribbled out his attempt. He picked up his crutches and headed toward the armoury; where Ana was sitting on the floor fixing something.
"I need to talk to him" John stated
"The gun's with Jack; the door stays closed" Ana informed John "But if you want to talk to him…talk to him"
John looked at her for a moment, before leaning against the door.
"Henry can you hear me?" John shouted through the door as he knocked "It's John, Henry, Henry, did you enter the numbers; did you push the button or not?"
Ana raised an eyebrow, whilst listening in.
"Henry, I need to know; I want you to answer me, answer me" John continued to shout.
Henry sat on the bench that served as his bed, smiling evilly.
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John was sat listening to the record player. Ana approached him, with Lucy in tow.
"Hey" Ana said
"Hi" John replied
"I pushed your button" She stated
"It's not my button" He answered
"Where'd you go?" Ana questioned
"I just needed to stretch my legs"
Ana looked at Lucy who shrugged and headed toward the pantry. John sat down at Desmond's computer and began to re-draw the secret the blast door held. This time it took him no time at all, he smiled at it's ease.
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Ana looked over at Lucy, who was curled up on the sofa reading Frankenstein by Mary Shelly.
"Good book?" Ana asked
"Yeah, creepy" Lucy answered "The original story of Frankenstein"
"Didn't know that was your sort of thing" Ana replied
"You kidding, I love this sort of stuff, beats any cheesy horror film any day" Lucy smiled "Can I help with something?"
"Yeah, I'm going in to talk to Henry" Ana answered
"So, what do you want me to do?"
"Keep your ears open; I need someone to watch my back" Ana replied
"And you picked me, I didn't know you cared" Lucy joked
Ana raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.
"Well, I got your back" Lucy said, as she turned the page.
"Thanks"
Ana strode over to the armoury, entered the code and entered the little room.
"Hey Henry" Ana greeted "What do you say, how long are you going to keep up this hunger strike?"
Henry didn't answer. He continued to stare into space.
"I ever tell you I was a cop?" Ana asked "I've been around a lot of killers in my life; you know what surprises me most about them?"
It was evident that this was going to be a one sided conversation.
"How much they love to talk" she continued "But you're different, Henry, hmm, quiet"
Henry muttered something inaudible.
"What was that?" Ana asked, bending closer to the little man
Henry repeated the whisper. Ana leant closer to the prisoner.
"If you're going to say something; you're going to have to speak up" She informed him
Henry jumped up, knocking Ana backwards. He grabbed her throat and started strangling her. Ana gasped for air. Lucy heard a noise and jumped from the sofa.
"John, John, something's going on in the armoury" Lucy shouted
Henry continued to grip Ana's throat. He leant close to her.
"You killed two of us …good people who were leaving you alone" He breathed "You're the killer Ana-Lucia"
Ana tried to struggle free, but the prisoner pinned her. Ana was starting to lose consciousness; John hit Henry in the back of the head with his crutches. Lucy dived forward, helping Ana. Ana began chocking and gasping.
"I guess he decided to start talking" John said simply, looking at the unconscious prisoner.
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Lucy followed Ana onto the beach.
"Ana, at least let me check you over" Lucy called after her
"Lucy, I don't need you to" She replied shrugging Lucy away
"Ana, please"
"Go away"
Ana walked away; Lucy stood and watched.
Ana began tending to the wound on her forehead.
"What happened?" Libby asked, her voice filled with concern
"I cut myself shaving" Ana answered sarcastically "The man in the hatch tried to kill me"
"You okay?" She asked, examining the wound
"I'm fine; but he won't be" Ana replied
"Hey, Ana?"
"What?"
"Don't do anything stupid" Libby requested
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Lucy entered the hatch rubbing her head. John looked at her.
"Stress headache?" He quizzed
"Yeah, you could call it that" Lucy answered "Why do I even bother?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, why do I even bother trying to help?" She replied "It's obvious that no one wants my help"
"That's not true" John remarked as placed a hand on her shoulder "Ana could've gotten killed, you helped put an end to that"
"John, you stopped him, I just told you something was up" Lucy muttered
"Why don't you go lay down?" He suggested
"Yeah…okay"
Lucy went to lie down on the bunk; John began to inspect the bottom of the blast door. He walked towards the armoury and opened the door.
"If you've come to apologise, I forgive you for hitting me with your crutch" Henry stated "I'm so glad my head didn't break it"
"Why?"
"Now that's a broad question" Henry remarked
"Why'd you try to hurt Ana-Lucia, but not me?" John questioned
"I'm not sure I know what you're getting at, John" The prisoner replied earnestly
"I was trapped under that blast door, helpless" John continued "You could've crushed my skull, but you didn't do a thing; why didn't you?"
"Because you're one of the good ones, John" Henry answered
"What?" John interrogated "Good what?"
"None of this matters…I'm dead anyway; the doctor's gone to make a trade and we both know he'll come back empty-handed and then I've lost my value" Henry stated "So either Jack comes back here and kills me or my people find out where I'm being held and they do it"
"Why would your own people want to kill you?"
"Because the man in charge; he's a great man, John, but he's not a forgiving man" Henry answered "He'll kill me because I failed, John; I failed my mission"
"What mission?"
"When that woman caught me in her trap, I was on my way here; I was coming for you, John"
In the background John could hear his name being called.
"Locke, get out here!" Jack shouted "Locke, Locke!"
"Locke!" Came Kate's voice
Lucy woke up in the bunk, rubbing her head. She swung her legs over the edge and ran into the living area. John was shortly behind her, locking Henry in the armoury. Jack was examining an unconscious Michael.
"Michael, Michael!" Jack called, trying to rouse Michael.
Lucy bent down next to Jack.
"Anything I can do?"
"So, it worked" John stated
"What are you talking about, John?" Jack asked, ignoring Lucy's offer.
"Your deal…the trade" John explained "If they gave us Michael…"
"They didn't give us anything" Jack interrupted
"So it was just a coincident that he came wandering out?" John answered
Lucy's eyes rolled, it was no use trying to talk to either of them, when they were arguing. She decided to check Michael over.
"I was shouting; he heard my voice…what, they just let Michael go hoping we would hold up our end of the bargain?" Jack replied, with sarcastic venom "You think they're on the honour system?"
Kate entered and nodded a greeting at Lucy, who nodded back.
"Hey" Kate said to Jack
"Hey" He replied