Thanks for the reviews! Sorry it took so long to update... I've been really sick and was in the hospital etc... But I'm starting to get better, so here is the next chapter. Enjoy. =]
Chapter 7
Secrets
"You will obey my orders when I tell you to!"
Jack and Kate turned their heads to the shouts they heard coming from down the beach and both stood up. They noticed everyone heading in that direction.
"Let's go." Jack sighed and stepped into a jog with Kate right behind him.
"You get on that boat, boy, or so help me I'll..." Cooper was standing with the young man named Paiten pulled towards him by his shirt collar. He was furious as he yelled with a red face.
Everyone was standing around, watching and not doing anything to stop it.
"Hey! What's going on here?" Jack asked as he pushed through the crowd of men.
"You better stay out of this, Hostile!" Cooper snapped. "It has nothing to do with you!"
"I am staying here, Cooper. You can't make me go." Paiten said once Cooper had released him. "This island is where I belong."
"Enough of the back talk!" Cooper shoved him to the ground.
"You are not the boss of me anymore! I'd rather join them!" Paiten pointed towards Jack and the other survivors standing around him. He stood up and looked Cooper in the eyes as he spoke. "I am staying."
Suddenly Cooper swung his arm and his fist landed squarely on Paiten's jaw. He swung again and this time his fist hit the young man's gut. Paiten wretched over in pain and fell back to the ground.
"You are a disgrace, Paiten! You would rather choose them over your own people!" Cooper spat then kicked him in the side and Paiten cried out in agony.
Jack had seen enough of this and rushed over, just as Cooper was about to kick him again. He grabbed Cooper and pulled him away, "Leave him alone!" He shouted.
Cooper struggled out of Jack's hold and went to punch him in the face but Jack was quicker and instead punched Cooper in the face. Kate knelt down beside Paiten to make sure he was okay just as Cooper took another blow from Jack when he tried to attack him again. This time Cooper was the one on the ground in pain.
"You idiots!" Cooper screamed at his men who were all standing around watching as blood dripped down his nostril. "Do something!"
"Do what? He's only defending Paiten." One of the men said.
"He's one of them!" Cooper yelled.
"If he was one of them, why would he be defending one of us?" Another man stated.
"They are liars! You fools have lost your minds if you are deciding to choose him," he pointed at Jack, "over me!"
"You were the one beating up one of your own people."
"He defied me!"
"The kid doesn't want to take the boat back, so what?" A tall dark skinned man said to Cooper. "I'll take it in his place. You are being ridiculous throwing a tantrum just because you want him to go, and only because he actually has a spine to stand up for his beliefs. Those injured men need assistance now," the man looked around and pointed at a smaller man wearing glasses. "Raymond, do you want to come with me? I cannot man a boat and three hurt men on my own."
"Sure. I'd be happy to get away from here." Raymond said and headed for the boat that was still waiting to take off."
"See that, Coop? I asked Raymond if he wanted to go first instead of ordering him to. It works a lot better." The man grinned. "I'll see you around, Cooper. That is if this Jack guy hasn't finished you off first..." He looked down at Patien, "You got guts, kid, and I like 'em." He smiled, waved to the rest of the men still standing around, shocked at what they had just witnessed, and headed for the boat as well.
"Lukas will be hearing about this, Sanjos!" Cooper threatened just as the boat took off into the dark waters.
Jack took one more glance at Cooper who was still sitting in the sand with humiliation painted all over his face. He was watching with a scowl as all his men walked away, totally ignoring him. Jack almost felt pity for the man... What happened to these people to made them so angry and bitter? Jack wondered.
"Jack?"
Jack turned at the sound of Kate's voice. She was trying to lift the young man, Paiten, from the ground but was having difficulty. He must really be exhausted if he can't even stand on his own two feet. Jack hurried over and helped get him up. They both carried him to a nearby tent. As they were laying him down, Jack caught a glimpse of a massive scar over his right eye. He glanced at Kate who had seen it too but neither of them said anything about it.
"Thank you." Paiten tried to smile as he looked up at them once they go him down.
"I'll go get something for your face." Kate said and stood up. "I'll be right back." She smiled at Jack and walked out of the tent.
"She your girl?" Paiten asked through a weak voice.
Jack ignored the question, "So what was that all about?"
"He wanted me to take the boat back to the ship and I wanted to stay here, so I told him no."
"Why didn't you want to take it back?"
"I don't know... I just feel that there is a reason I should stay... And besides, Cooper only wanted me to go because I'm the only one that actually believes who you people are."
"You believe us?"
"Yes. Why would the Hostiles choose to live on a beach, in tents made out of plane parts, when they have the barracks that they stole from us during the incident?"
"Who are you and your people? Are you from Dharma?"
He nodded, "How do you know about the Dharma Initiative?"
"We found a hatch."
His eyes brightened, "You did? Where, which one?"
"Well it's gone now..."
"What? How?"
"I guess it exploded. I wasn't here when it happened."
"Where were you?"
"Busy being taken captive by your Hostiles as you call them."
"Captive? So then you've met them?" He sat up on his elbows.
"Unfortunately," Jack nodded. "They have been nothing but trouble for us since we landed on this island."
"Did they say anything to you about Dharma while you were taken captive?"
"Not really that I can remember..."
"Here's a damp cloth for your face." Kate said as she entered the tent again.
Paiten's lip was swollen and he had a bloody nose. Kate dropped down on her knees and gently began to wipe the drying blood away.
"Are you going to be okay to walk tomorrow?" Kate asked.
"I'll be fine."
"Do your ribs feel broken at all from his kick?" Jack asked.
He shook his head, "Really, I'm fine."
"You can rest here tonight. We'll make sure that man doesn't harm you again." Kate assured hm.
"Paiten, what happened to the Dharma Initiative? What did they do to your people?" Jack decided to ask. This might be his only chance.
Paiten looked away and didn't say anything.
"What happened?" Jack questioned again. He was becoming impatient.
"He doesn't trust us." Kate said.
Paiten looked at them, "It's not that I don't trust you... It's just that..."
"Cooper?" Jack said.
"I'm not afraid of him."
"Lukas?" Kate guessed.
"Lukas is nothing to fear either. The real man in charge of this whole mission, the man who trained us, who raised us..."
"Who is he?"
"I can't tell you. I can't tell you anything. I've already given away so much as it is," the kid was fearful now as he looked into their eyes. "You should leave now, please. I thank you for your kindness but you really should go."
"Paiten..." Kate started.
"Go!" He snapped and pointed towards the entrance. He then looked sorry for the outburst and his eyes filled with tears. "I don't want to see you and your people hurt. You have to listen to me."
"We leave at dawn." Jack said as he got up and left the tent with Kate by his side.
"What was that all about?" Kate asked when they were a few feet away.
"I don't know."
"Jack, it's time." Jack opened his eyes to see Sayid standing in the opening of his tent all ready to go. "They're getting ready to leave now. You better hurry and get the things you will need." Sayid said to him and closed the flap, leaving Jack alone in the dim lighted tent. At least he knew the sun was rising because his tent wasn't as dark inside anymore.
Once Jack had put on his clean shirt and gotten his things together in his pack he emerged out of his tent, hopefully for the last time.
"Hey, you ready?" Kate came up beside him as Jack was walking towards the water trough to fill a couple of water bottles for the long journey ahead, again hopefully for the last time.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I just want to get this over with." He bent over the trough, made from wood they had cut down and used twine to hold it together with a tarp inside that would catch the rain water when it fell, and dunked a bottle in. A great idea.
"You still haven't told me how you plan on finding Ben?" Kate bent over and began to fill her bottles as well.
"Not now." Jack said as he pulled his first bottle out and tightened the lid on it then plunged the second one in to be filled.
"There's no one around." Kate whispered. "Is it because of what happened to you out there with that... thing?"
"Kate..."
"Jack," she looked at him now with a serious expression, "how do you know where Rousseau has Ben?"
He finished filling the second one and after tightening that lid as well, he put them both in his back pack that hung on his shoulder, glanced around worriedly, then looked at her, "I don't know exactly. It could be from that thing... I just keep seeing these flashes or something and I immediately know where they are... I can't explain it..."
"Hey!" Cooper suddenly shouted, cutting Jack off. "Are you and your Hostiles ready yet? It's time to go!" He was glaring at Jack through a swollen left eye.
Jack nodded at Kate and they both started walking towards everyone else. Jack looked around to make sure everyone was with them from his people and stopped when he realized one was missing.
"Sayid, where is Hurley?" Jack asked.
Sayid glanced around, "I do not know. He was here last night..."
"What's the problem?" Cooper commanded with impatience.
"One of our men is missing." Sayid said.
"Has anybody seen Hurley?" Jack asked.
"Who's Hurley?" One of Cooper's men asked.
"He's a big guy with long curly hair."
"You mean the depressed guy?" Another man asked.
"He just lost a close friend... Actually we all just lost a close friend." Jack nodded. "Have you seen him?"
"Not since last night."
"Hey, uh, doc?" Sawyer walked up to him with a guilty look upon his face.
"What?"
"I saw Hugo head off into the jungle last night while everybody was gathered around that fight. I thought he was just going to use the john or something so I let him be. Now that I think about it though, he did have his pack with him..."
"Why didn't you say anything before?" Jack snapped.
"Because like I said, I thought he was just using the toilet!" Sawyer snapped back.
"This is just great!" Jack didn't know what to do next.
"We have to go after him." Kate said.
"I say we just let him be. The guy obviously wants to be alone." Sawyer suggested.
Kate shot him a look of surprise.
"We are not leaving him behind." Jack said as he glared at Sawyer.
"Hey, we don't have time to find your overweight, depressed buddy right now. Lukas will be waiting for us. I agree with the redneck. We leave him. Now let's go." Cooper said as he started walking towards the jungle.
"I am not like you. I do not leave my people behind." Jack said and turned towards everyone. "Will you help us find our friend?"
"They absolutely will not!" Cooper objected. "Men, get moving now!" He ordered but no one moved.
"Jack, please. As much as I love that big guy, I love my wife even more. Right now we need to get Rose and all the other people that are being held against their will by that other man." Bernard said with tears in his eyes. "Hurley is only one person. There are thirty others who are waiting for us to rescue them right now... So please..."
Jack knew he was right. There were thirty other people depending on him right now and Hurley was only one, and it seemed he didn't want to be rescued anyway...
Jack sighed and looked up at all the faces staring at him, "Let's go and get our people back."
Bernard smiled and next to him Jin smiled as well. He probably hadn't understood every word that had been said but close enough because he had tears falling form his eyes as well.
"And what about Hurley?" Kate asked Jack as they began walking amongst the others.
"There's nothing we can do for him right now but pray that he will be all right."
"Can't you find him with those flash things you've been getting like with Ben?"
"I don't control them. Hopefully we'll run into him on our way."
"Poor Hurley."
"Right now our main focus is on getting the rest of our people back from Lukas."
Lukas stepped inside his helicopter and started it up. Claire sat in the seat next to him with her baby in her arms, frowning. He told her that it would be easier for her to fly with him instead of having to walk the long journey with her baby. She of course put up a fight but of course he won because he was the one in control. He also had some of his men take the elderly, the injured, and also a pregnant woman into their helicopters before taking off while the rest of his men and the people walked. Now who says I don't have a heart?
Lukas grinned as he started the engine. It was finally time to get away from this spot and head towards the cliffs. And there the truth would finally come out and he would be able to get his revenge on the leader of the Hostiles, JACK, once and for all.
Hurley spun around when he heard something behind him and his eyes darted back and forth scanning the trees surrounding him.
The sun was beginning its decent into the sky and he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. He kept walking deeper and deeper into the jungle, not sure exactly where he was going, or even why he was doing it. He knew he just couldn't stand to be around there anymore. He was getting sick of all the violence that their lives seemed to revolve around since they crashed on the island. Fists, guns, explosions... It was tiring. He needed to be alone. He needed peace. Plus every time he stared out at that ocean he thought of Charlie and how those waters had killed his best friend.
"Who's there?" Hurley shouted, hoping it wasn't a polar bear or that "monster" thing.
"Hugo?" Hurley turned to see John Locke standing there with a piece of fruit in his hand.
"Locke?" He couldn't believe his eyes.
"What are you doing here so far out, Hugo?" Locke asked as he tossed Hurley the piece of fruit.
"I... I don't know. I just felt like it." He took the fruit and immediately bit into it. Mmmmm. Food at Last.
"Where is everyone else?"
"They're probably headed to see that man who has the rest of our people captive right now."
"What do you mean?"
"Those people that knew Naomi... Dude, wait didn't you kill Naomi?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"The island... Well, Walt told me to."
"I see..." He didn't bother asking how a kid who didn't even live on the island anymore had told Locke to kill Naomi.
"Who has them, Hugo?"
"Who?"
"The rest of the survivors. You just said they have been taken captive and the others are on their way to rescue them."
"Oh yeah that... I guess those people Jack called think that we are the Others, or as they call them, Hostiles. Jack and Kate escaped them but they still have the rest of our people. Then last night Jack and Kate showed up and we went to rescue Sawyer at the beach and some of those people were there threatening to kill Sawyer. A fight broke out, some got hurt from their team, and Jack got them to call that guy who has our people and he told him that he would show him the real Hostile which I'm guessing is Ben." He said as he took a deep breath in and out.
"So they're going after Ben, is that right?"
"I guess." He nodded.
"And where is Ben?"
"I don't know. I think I overheard someone say that the French chick has him or something..."
"Well we better find her then."
"WE?"
"You're not coming?"
"I don't know..."
"Why are you not with Jack and the others?"
"Charlie's dead."
"Oh... I see."
"I just wanted to get away. I'm so tired of all this. I hate death."
"Well, Hugo, you can't run away from fate."
"What fate?"
"I think you should assist me on my journey."
"Why do you want to find the French chick?"
"She has the key that we need."
"You mean Ben?"
"Let's go." Locke smiled his secretive smile that meant 'I know something you don't know', and then turned and started walking through the trees with Hurley following reluctantly behind.
"How long is it to these cliffs anyway?" Sawyer asked as they all trudged through the jungle with Cooper leading the way.
"It's only been an hour and you're already complaining?" Cooper snapped.
"How hard is it to tell me how much longer?"
"Why don't you just quit grumbling and shut it?" Cooper gave him an icy stare.
"Excuse me?" Sawyer glared back.
"Enough!" Jack shouted at the both of them.
"You going to punch me again?" Cooper was now glaring at Jack with seething rage.
"Let's just keep moving." Sayid interrupted them all.
Cooper turned away from Jack, and Sawyer turned away from Cooper and they all kept walking again.
Kate was watching Jack as he walked and he kept putting his hand to his head like he had a terrible headache. She noticed him starting to saunter in his steps and finally walked up to him, "Jack, are you all right?"
He looked at her with weary eyes, "I... don't know. I think I've just got a headache..."
"Are you sure that thing didn't do something to your head?" She whispered as she walked close by his side.
"I'll be fine."
"Have some water at least." Kate handed him her bottle and he took a sip.
"Really, I'll be okay." He tried to assure her but she knew better. She could tell when he was lying.
Jack suddenly collapsed to the ground unconscious and was soaking in sweat.
"Jack!" Kate cried and dropped to his side.
"What happened now?" Cooper asked as all the men stopped walking and gathered around them.
"It's Jack... he just collapsed and he won't wake up." Kate said anxiously.
"Let me take a look at him." Juliet said, shoving Kate out of the way.
"How would you know what's wrong with him?" Kate snapped.
"I am the closest thing to a doctor here right now," Juliet snapped back. "Now everyone give him some room." She looked at Kate when she said this.
Everyone backed up a couple spaces as Juliet felt Jack's head and listened to his heart beat.
"This is ridiculous!" Cooper shouted. "Lukas is waiting for us! There is no time for this!"
"Lukas can wait!" Kate glared at the man. "What's wrong with him?" Kate turned her attention back to Jack and asked Juliet.
"It could be lack of sleep... And he's obviously stressed to the limit about all this... He just needs some time to..."
All of a sudden Cooper grabbed someone's water bottle and splashed it all over Jack's face. Jack shot up instantly, soaking wet and very confused, "W-what happened?"
He looked around at the many faces staring at him.
Kate bent down and looked at him, "You collapsed. Are you okay?"
"I... I'm not sure..." He looked at her and gave her a look that meant there was something he wasn't saying out loud to everyone.
"Now that he's awake, let's get moving!" Cooper ordered.
Jack started to stand but was still a little out of it. Before Kate could grab him to help him up, Juliet grabbed him and pulled him to his feet with her arms wrapped around him.
"You should take it easy, Jack." Juliet said when he had pulled away from her and started to walk.
"I'm fine."
Everybody started walking again. Kate was on one side of Jack and Juliet on the other.
So of course Jack and Kate had to be interrupted right when they're about to kiss, you guessed right. I couldn't let it happen just yet... sorry. And it may seem that I've made Juliet into kind of a jerk in this story even though I actually really like Juliet now. Remember this was before she became trustworthy... I had to add a little jealousy between her and Kate.
Please Review! =D