Only 4 reviews...? Is it that bad? Well here's the next chapter anyway... Please R&R, I would feel so much better.

Chapter 4

Afraid

"How long do we have to wait here before Jack shows up?" Sawyer asked, annoyed that they had to sit around at the caves instead of at the beach. He had put up a huge stink about the whole thing.

"I don't know. The radio must have died before Jack could explain anything more." Sayid said as he held his water bottle under the waterfall.

"Or he just shut it off so that he wouldn't have to explain."

"Why would Jack do that?" Juliet asked, giving Sawyer an evil glare.

"Because maybe Ol' Jacko is lying about the whole thing." He shot her his 'you know you want me' look and smirked.

"Jack wouldn't do that."

"How do we know, little Miss. Sunshine?" Sawyer sneered. He leaned against one of the cave walls and crossed his arms. "Maybe there was a rescue but they didn't have enough room for us, so Jack had to make up a story to make us come here. That way they can all be on their merry way back to civilization."

"You actually think that low of Jack?" Juliet walked towards him.

"And you actually think that highly of him?" He stood straight, only inches from her face.

"Who is the one that has helped you survive all this time on the island?"

"Not Jack, that's for sure! He was the reason I was taken by your people!"

"He was the reason you were able to escape my people!" They were both in each others faces now.

"Enough!" Sayid yelled. They all looked at the soldier from Iraq. "This is no time to be arguing about whether Jack is a hero or not."

"Jack was right," Desmond stepped up from behind Sayid.

"Right about what?" Sawyer asked, not really caring.

"There was no rescue. Naomi was lying."

"And how do you know this?" Sayid asked.

Desmond looked at them all, sweat pouring down his face, "There is something I need to tell you. Something I have been avoiding because I don't know exactly how to tell you…"

"If it means we'll know what the heck is go'n on around here, then spit it out." Sawyer demanded.

"It's about Charlie isn't it?" Hurley asked. He had been sitting by the pool of water. "Is he all right?"

Desmond looked at him and shook his head. He then began to tell them the events that had taken place in the underwater hatch.

Jack didn't know what to do. Kate had just taken off running. Is she that mad at me? He wasn't sure if he should go after her or not. She could get hurt, or worse! He decided to follow her in a mad dash. What is she chasing? Or is she just trying to get away from me?

Kate could hear Jack running behind her, calling her name, but she had to keep running. Something inside her could not let that horse get away. She didn't know why Jack couldn't see it but that didn't matter right now. She kept running, chasing after the black horse, needing to catch it. Suddenly she looked and it was gone. What? She searched the area she had just seen it in but it was nowhere in sight. No! Kate stood there and cried out, "No!" It had vanished so quickly.

I'm going crazy again… Kate dropped to her knees, not caring that she landed in mud, and sobbed openly into her fists.

"Kate?" Jack stopped when he saw her in the mud crying. He wasn't sure what he should do. He didn't know what had come over her. First she had run off without saying a word to him and now she was collapsed in the mud crying. What if she was hurt? He hadn't been that far behind her. She couldn't be hurt. He would have seen something happen.

Jack walked over to Kate and knelt down beside her, he put his arms around her and lifted her to her feet. She didn't even look at him but buried her face in his chest, still bawling. He held her tight, not saying anything, and never wanting to let go.

"You're sure about this?" Cooper asked over the communication device that Lukas held in his hand.

"I'm sure." Lukas said.

"We'll check it out…" he paused, "but what do we do if some of their people are there?"

"Bring them to the cliffs. We'll meet you there by morning."

"That long?"

"Do you want to try leading thirty people through the jungle at night with only thirteen guns?" Lukas snapped.

"Why not put them in the helicopters?"

"There are only six helicopters and five seats in each. Just do as I say and then contact me as soon as you find anything."

"Yes, sir."

"I put you in command of the ship for a reason. You better hope it wasn't a mistake, Coop."

"I won't," he was silent. Lukas was about to hang up when Cooper's voice came back on, "How did you get them to tell you that anyway? What if it's a trap? You said these people are smart and that they're liars…"

"I have my ways. If you do find anything from the wreckage like they say there is, let me know. These people could be telling the truth after all."

"And if they're not?"

"Then we kill them." Lukas scowled then turned off the radio.

He looked over to where Markus stood with the small blonde woman and her baby. He had threatened to harm them if nobody told him the truth. Of course there was always one spineless hero who had to stick up for a mother and her baby. The answer he received however was not what he had expected. His plan had still worked, as soon as they found out the truth; they could get to the killing.

He caught the woman glaring at him as she held her baby boy. Lukas just grinned back at her. He really had no intentions of hurting the woman, he wasn't that cruel. He actually thought she was very beautiful and he intended on making sure no harm came to her at all.

Cooper stood in front of a hundred men and women, the people who had been trained since the day he had lost his family to the wretched Hostiles. A few of them had been with him during the attack. They all felt the same thing towards the people that had stolen their homes and lives, hatred.

"What are the orders?" Stenson, one of the men in the front asked.

"Unload one of the boats. I and twelve other men will head west in the boat towards the island in search of a beach these 'so-called plane crash survivors' say they were living. The rest of you keep working. It won't be long until we finally have the island back."

The men all let out a roar of cheers.

"I will contact the rest of you here once we find anything and then Lukas wants us to head to the cliffs." Cooper noticed one of the men had stepped forward, Paiten was his name. He remembered him since the beginning. The boy had always been the quiet type, never to say much unless he was aked. He raised his arms and gave the signal for them to be silent. He then motioned his hand towards Paiten and nodded, "You have a question?"

"Well… Yes, sir," he was young. His blonde hair parted to one side covering one of his eyes, his right eye.

"Tell me, Paiten."

"What if these people really are who they say they are?"

"The survivors of Oceanic Flight 815?" He laughed. "Do you watch the news, boy? That plane was found with all the passengers dead."

"But if they are who they say they are, won't they be in a lot of trouble?"

"I believe they are all lying." More men shouted out in agreement.

"If they were lying, why would they tell us to go to their beach?"

Cooper was getting tired of arguing with the young man, "Look, if you are so sure that these people are telling the truth, then you can be one of the men who comes with me. Then we will see who is right and who is wrong."

Paiten didn't say another word as he stepped back and dipped his head.

Jack had been holding Kate for what seemed like forever when Kate finally decided she should say something. She didn't want to ruin this moment, having his comforting arms wrapped around her body was the best feeling she had felt in a long time, but this question needed to be answered. Kate looked up into his eyes; they were red with tears also. Jack had been crying too? He looked at her and smiled then gently wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Jack, do you think I'm crazy?"

"Are you on the same island I'm on?" He still smiled.

"Then you saw it?" A surge of hope ran through her.

"Saw what?" He now looked confused.

Kate lowered her head and stepped out of his embrace, "Never mind."

"Kate?" Jack stepped towards her.

Why hadn't he seen it? It was right there! How could he not? Am I crazy? "Sawyer had seen it…" Before Kate realized that she had spoken out loud, she saw Jack's face fall.

"Sawyer?" He stumbled back a bit.

"No, Jack, it's not what you think." She reached out for his arm but he pulled away.

"Let's go. Sawyer and the others are waiting for us." Jack said with a frown and started walking.

"Jack, wait." He shook his head and kept walking forward.

Kate was about to say something else when she heard something behind her. A sound she dreaded hearing every time. One that made her whole body freeze up and her stomach turn. It was the "Monster"…

Jack didn't know how close it was but that thing was coming towards them. He turned around and saw Kate standing there with fear in her eyes, "Kate!" He yelled. She looked at him but didn't budge.

Kate heard Jack call her but she couldn't move. That thing is close by! Her whole body shook as she looked into Jack's eyes. The noise came again, that deafening noise. It was louder this time.

"Kate run!" Jack yelled. He ran up beside her and yanked her off her feet as he pulled her by his side. "Let's go!"

Jack wasn't sure what had come over Kate, she usually would have bolted at the first sound of the "monster" but she had stood there like she was spellbound in a trance or something. They both ran through the trees, hoping that thing wouldn't find them. Jack had only seen it a couple times. Black smoke. He wasn't sure what it was but the image of that poor pilot was still imbedded in his head. Remembering that image made him run harder.

Rain started falling again as they kept running. Jack heard a grunt and looked back to see that Kate had fallen. He rushed back to her and saw that her foot was stuck in a hole. Just great!

"Jack! I can't move it!" Kate cried.

"Just hold still." Jack tried to pull it out but Kate screamed in agony.

"I think I did something to it!"

"We have to get it out!"

The sound came again, it was so close now that his ears were ringing. Jack pulled on Kate's foot as hard as he could. She screamed as it finally came out. He quickly looked it over, "It's sprained!" He shouted over the rain.

"We have to go!" Kate tried standing up. Jack grabbed her arm and put it around his shoulder as they both stood then slowly started running.

There was no place to hide. Jack searched every place they passed. It was still behind them, gaining on them. His heart was pounding. He didn't know what to do.
All of a sudden Jack looked in front of them and saw the smoke monster hovering in the trees. Waiting. They both froze. The thing unexpectedly made that ear piercing sound and moved towards them rapidly. Jack threw Kate down to the ground and put his body over her. He knew it had been a stupid idea but they wouldn't have been able to out run it, it was the only thing he could think of. They were both silent as Jack held Kate close. He could feel the beast above them. He dared not look up. He didn't know what it was doing, what it wanted. It just hovered over them.

"1." Jack heard Kate say.

Kate was afraid. She wouldn't look up because she knew if she did it would make things worse. She had seen the thing before. It had been after her… Or maybe it had been after Juliet…? She wasn't sure. Jack was holding her tight. She could feel that he was frightened too. His heart was beating a mile a minute. Jack is actually afraid. She remembered his method for fear. Count. She told herself. Just count.

"1."

"2." She heard Jack say.

"3." They both spoke together. "4... 5."

Jack squeezed her to his chest. She had forgotten about the pain in her foot as he held her.

Jack finally decided to look up. He had to. It was time to face his fear. He opened his eyes and was stunned by what he saw.

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