Chp 8

"Jack you have to come back to the hotel," Juliet cried into the phone hysterically.

"Why, what happened?" Jack asked into his cell while trying to find a cab.

"Just do it Jack!"

An hour later Jack came through their hotel and into their room. Juliet immediately wrapped her arms around him. She started crying uncontrollably into the side of his neck. Jack held her in his arms, rocking her, trying to calm her down.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here now Juliet. It's okay, not tell me what's going on."

Juliet told him everything about what happened at Infinity's headquarters. What the man, the doctor, had said to her and that he knew she was two months pregnant.

"Damn it Juliet! This is why I said for you to stay put until I got back," Jack said running his hand in frustration over his head.

"Well yelling at me about how you were right yet again, isn't going to help," she said as she wiped her tears with a tissue he handed to her.

Jack took a deep breath, letting it out as his hands rested at his hips. Juliet looked at him. She saw the disappointment in his eyes, her guilt coming to the surface; she chose to deal with it by hurting him.

"Well it's your mother's fault."

"My mother?" he asked annoyance apparent in his voice.

"Who else was that man referring to when he said she'd come after me?"

"My mother wouldn't do this," Jack said as Juliet saw the sorrow cloud his face.

She teared up again feeling guilty she would hurt Jack like this, even if it was the truth. She reached out to touch him but he pulled away and started pacing the room.

"Why?" he asked, "Why would she? To what purpose?"

"I think they're running fertility experiments. The island must have been like a lab to observe them. It would explain all the cameras everywhere, and the interest in Claire," Juliet said.

"But not Ana Lucia. You said she was pregnant before the crash and the baby died. And the woman my dad operated on, she wasn't on the island, she died on the table," Jack said exasperated.

"And what about me and the other men? What did they want with us?"

"I don't know Jack," Juliet said quietly.

"And this man, this doctor that helped you escape. You said he knew my name, that he didn't want to hurt me."

"Yes, I think that's why he let me go."

"Why? Who was he?" Jack asked his voice rising frantically.

"I don't know Jack," Juliet said frustrated and began to cry again.

Jack sat on the bed beside her. He ran his thumb gently over her tear stained cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said, "Did they, did they hurt you?"

"I don't know," she sobbed.

"It's okay Juliet, let me look at you baby," Jack said and began examining her.

"You seem alright, looks like they drew some blood," Jack told her as he checked under the bandage on her arm, "Must be how they knew you were pregnant."

Juliet nodded, "So now what Jack?"

"Now we go see what this key opens," he said and kissed her hand, "Together."

…..

The next morning they set out for Rue St. Jean, the key in Juliet's tight grasp. When they got to number 15, their eyes opened wide as they looked up at the building. It was a Swiss Bank.

"Box number 108," Juliet said.

"What?" Jack asked her.

"The doctor, he said, go to box 108. He said I would find all I needed there."

"Must be a safe deposit," Jack told her as they walked inside.

"But in a Swiss Bank? They've got the tightest security in the world. How are we supposed to get to it if we're not the owners?" Juliet asked.

Jack shrugged and looked at her but before he could say anything a bank employee walked up to them.

"Good morning Sir, Madam. How may I help you?"

"Umm, I'm not sure," Jack said, "It seems I inherited this key," he told the young man taking the object from Juliet's hand and showing it to him.

"It happens on occasion. Do you have the box number?"

"Yes, 108," Jack said.

"Then follow me," the employee said.

"Where did you come up with that?" Juliet whispered behind the man's back.

"I read it in the Da Vinci Code," Jack said as Juliet grinned and stifled a giggle.

The bank employee ushered them into a plush room. It looked like the inside of a den in some private men's club, with a desk and chairs made of dark wood and green leather. The employee lifted a panel on the wall, unveiling a computer screen.

"Put your key in the slot and just punch in the 6 digit code and your box will be delivered to you through the slot at the bottom."

"6 digit code?"

"Surely you inherited that as well, hmm?" the man said standing at the door.

"What happens if we've forgotten it?" Juliet asked.

"You get one chance. If you enter an invalid code the screen will go blank and the panel will shut," he told them before smiling and leaving them alone.

"Great, now what?" Juliet sighed as she plopped down in one of the chairs.

Jack ran his hand over his head, his usual gesture when frustrated.

"Wait, did he say 6 digits?" Jack asked getting excited.

"Yes, do you know it?" Juliet asked him.

"I think so."

"You think? Jack we only get one chance."

"I know. Give me your hand," he said reaching out for her, "For luck."

Juliet grasped Jack's hand. He entwined his fingers with her and squeezed tightly walking over to the computer screen he closed his eyes for a moment. Opening them up again, he put the key in its slot and punched the numbers 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42 before pressing enter.

The screen went blank and Jack's and Juliet's shoulders collapsed in defeat. Juliet was about to comfort Jack when at that moment the word ACCEPTED came up and the message, ONE MOMENT PLEASE followed.

Juliet kissed Jack on the cheek and squeezed his arm, "You're brilliant," she told him.

Jack smiled brightly, about to kiss her back when the chute below opened and a metal briefcase slid out. Jack groaned as his jubilance turned to sadness.

"What's wrong?" Juliet asked as he picked it up.

"I've seen one of these before. A Halliburton. That doctor didn't happen to give you another key to the case did he?" Jack asked but Juliet shook her head.

"Can't we pick it?" she asked him.

"No."

"Unless," Juliet said her tongue at the corner of her mouth as an idea popped into her head.

"Unless what?" Jack asked.

"There is someone. Right here in Zurich," she said as he stared at her, "There's only one person I know who might be able to pick this lock," Juliet said as she fished Jack's cell out of his pocket. She dialed a pager number she had memorized and entered Jack's cell number. A few impatient minutes later the phone rang. Juliet immediately answered it, "It's me, Juliet. I need your help."