Quick Note: Please, people, review! It doesn't take long! I'd do the same for you! I'm just about ready to join that writer's strike...

Chapter Five

Kate chose to accept the advice given, and didn't try anything. Not for a while, at least. She figured that had to count for something. She was vaguely aware of the difference between night and day now – at night, the vibrations of the ship lessened; she assumed it was because everyone was sleeping. But apart from that, the only thing that happened to break the stiff monotony of sitting in her cell and pacing around it was the thrice-daily meal time. It wasn't very good food. The water, however, she was glad of.

She was losing her mind. There was nothing to look at. No-one to talk to – Finn hadn't come back, and the guards never shared a word with her. It made her uneasy, as well – why bring her here? Why hadn't they killed her? Not that she wanted to be killed – she just thought it odd for them to go to all the trouble.

She was worried about Sawyer, too. He could take care of himself, but his temper was likely to get him into trouble. She remembered how badly he'd been treated when they'd been held by the Others. She could only hope he'd learnt some sense, and would keep his head down. Her hopes, however, probably had very little chance of being accurate.

Eventually, she couldn't stand it any more. By her count, it had been four days. Four days, and no-one had said a word to her. She tried asking one of the guards who fed her what she was being held for, but he just turned his back on her and left, oblivious to her angry remarks.

"That is it," she muttered to herself after another failed attempt at questioning her captors. She had run her fingers many times over the bars that made up this cage, and was able to determine the easiest way out. That had, she calculated, been her 'dinner' meal, and she now had the whole night to get out.

The bars were a mix of metal and wood – some of the older ones were wooden, and where they'd broken or worn away, metal bars had been installed. Kate waited a little while, until she was reasonably sure no-one would be awake, and levelled a kick at what she judged to be the weakest of the wooden bars. It shivered when her foot made contact, but didn't break.

Focusing carefully, trying to centre herself, she kicked again, and a large splinter came away, nearly burying itself in her eye. Grimacing, she kicked again, and this time the entire bar bent outwards, and with a final effort, snapped into two.

The hole this created was nearly wide enough for her to slip through. She ducked down, and squeezed through, splinters catching on her clothes and in her hair. Once out, she stared around, slightly confused. Clenching her teeth, she reached back into the cell and grabbed the splinter that had nearly blinded her – it was a crude weapon, but certainly enough to do some damage.

Slightly emboldened, she headed for the door. It opened smoothly, and she briefly wondered why – wouldn't you want your prison door to be as noisy as possible? Then the thought vanished, and Kate was peering outside. A hallway stretch away from her, and then reached a corner. She hazarded that the corner hid a stairwell, and she knew that to get away she had to head up.

A nagging concern for Sawyer – and any of her other friends, who may be here – lingered. She didn't know where they were, however, or if they were even alive. Maybe Sawyer had already made his escape, she thought. That's what the old Sawyer would have done – before he fell in love with her. Would he still think of 'every man for himself'? Part of her was revolted that he might, that he would abandon her without a thought. Part of her fervently wished that he had.

Sure enough, she came to a set of stairs. She had to wipe her hands on her jeans, noticing how sweaty they were. She took a quick peek around the corner, up the stairs, then ducked back, her heart hammering. She hadn't seen anything. Again, she looked – still nothing. Swallowing, and unable to help but remember Finn's brother's warning, she quietly ascended the steps.

For the next few minutes, it was a harried game of peek and hide – check each corner before moving around it, ready to bolt the other direction at the first hint that someone had seen her, heart hammering the whole time. At one point, she heard a slow footstep walking the hallway above her – she'd been rather shocked, seeing as she had thought she was finally on the top level of the freighter.

She knew she'd have to steal a boat. She wasn't sure she'd be able to do so silently, so she'd have to work hard to get to the beach – and away – before any pursuit caught up with her. She wondered how Finn had managed – she still rankled at being left behind by the young girl, but she didn't blame her.

When she finally reached the deck, it was to a inky black sky, as smooth as velvet and only broken by the hundreds of glittering stars. She breathed in the night air, and felt her body warm even in the cool breeze – a few days had been enough to stir the deep instincts in her, and being locked up inside was hard to bear.

She glanced around carefully. The entire deck, covered with tarpaulins and large crates and various ropes and electronic devices, was deserted. Once again, she thought this was odd. No guard? Were they stupid or arrogant? A tingle ran up her spine. She clutched her pitiful weapon tighter, wondering if the old piece of wood was strong enough to stab someone with. She couldn't help but think she'd look a real idiot if she made to attack someone and it broke apart in her hand.

She ran the few steps to the edge of the freighter. God-damn, this ship was big. The only thing between her and freedom – apart from the vast expanse of water and the inevitable chase – was a small, knee-high railing – to stop the various bits of ship equipment from sliding off, not to help a person.

"It's a lovely night," a voice said from behind her. Kate spun, holding her wooden stake out in front of her. Would she be able to take a step backwards, jump into the water? Of course, she had no chance swimming... but she thought she'd rather drown trying to escape than have one of them kill her.

"It's a little too far for swimming," the voice said, and Kate saw a dark figure step forward. It was Finn's brother – Russ, she thought, his name coming back to her after niggling her subconscious for four days.

"Your sister managed it," she said tightly, shifting one foot back, towards the edge. With a start, she realised the water would be very cold, if she did jump in. The idea wasn't appealing. The whole time, she kept the wooden stake out in front of her, as if the mere presence of it would be enough to stop him from coming closer.

"You think I'm a vampire?" he asked, the question so odd that at first she couldn't grapple the meaning. Then she smiled wryly.

"You're nasty enough," she replied. Oddly, she didn't feel afraid. She was here, talking about what a nice night it was, and she suddenly realised he wasn't going to kill her. He had a plan, she was sure of it. For now, at least, she was safe. Well, not safe, but she didn't have to worry about him killing her out of hand on a whim.

"I'm nowhere near as bad as some of the other fellows on this ship. The captain, for instance," Russ said with a laugh, and a significant look he knew she wouldn't understand. There was a pause, and he evaluated her steadily. "Put it down," he eventually said, softly, almost sadly.

Kate stared at him defiantly for a few moments. Just one man. Kill him, wound him, knock him out, just something to give you time to get away...

She lowered her arm, but her glare did not falter. His eyes looked almost black in the night, and his sharp features cast shadows across one side of his face, the light from the crescent moon dripping down softly. After a few tense seconds, in which neither of them moved, she dropped the stake completely, and he gave a small smile. Not a cruel or mocking smile, nor an ironic one – a friendly smile, that made her want to trust him. She grit her teeth and forced herself not to stop glaring at him.

"Let's go back to your cell, shall we? You can try escaping another night," Russell said. Kate's mouth twisted wryly.

"I broke it," she said, with only half-hearted sarcasm.

"Ah well. What cannot be prevented must be endured, my mother always said," Russ replied.