6 Days ago
Alpert and Sawyer got out of Alpert's car and looked at the building where they had stopped. It looked like it used to be some sort of hardware store but the sign above the shop had long since faded to illegibility. The windows were boarded up and graffiti covered the boards. Alpert took a key from his pocket and inserted it into a padlock on the dishevelled door that led inside. He swung the door opened and looked at Sawyer who stood on the pavement.
"Please, follow me." Alpert said.
"Nice place you got here." Sawyer said, sardonically. "Do you want me to wipe my feet before I come in?"
"That won't be necessary." Alpert replied.
The interior of the building was in as poor a state of repair as the storefront. The floor appeared to be covered in a layer of dust at least an inch thick and even when Alpert switched on the fluorescent light, the dust kept the room seeming gloomy. There were shelves lining the floor bur predictability they were empty and dirty.
"I think you need to upgrade your evil hideout, Blofeld, if your ever gonna get that shark tank."
Alpert led Sawyer through the room to the back of the store. At the back was a door that had presumably been the manager's office back when the store had been a neighbourhood business. Alpert knocked softly twice and then turned to Sawyer.
"Please go in."
"Am I in trouble with the boss?"
A familiar voice answered from the other side of the door. "No, James, we just need to change your job description."
"Son of a bitch," Sawyer said.
The room Sawyer entered was small and clean in comparison with the large and murky atmosphere outside. Sawyer noticed that there was an electronic air purifier running making a soft purring noise in the corner. Sat behind what was presumably the manager's desk was Benjamin Linus. In his arms he cradled a baby that was also familiar to Sawyer.
"Hello, James. I would appreciate if you didn't use language like that in front of a child," Ben said.
"If you hurt that kid I swear I'll…"
"What? Kill me? We've no intention of hurting Aaron. He will be returned to his mother today. He's only here to get you here."
"Why should I believe anything you say?"
"Because it's the truth and because you're not important enough to lie to," Ben said dismissively. "By the way, James, you can forget about that gun you believe you have on you."
Alpert stepped out from behind Sawyer and laid a gun on Ben's desk. Sawyer reached behind him feeling for the weapon he had placed in his jeans earlier.
"Son of a bitch," Sawyer cursed softly.
"I think I've proved my point," Ben said. "You have to understand James, when you got off the island, you all thought you were free. Freedom is all relative. On the island, you had freedom only as far as we let you have freedom. Here too, you are only as free as we allow you to be. We have left you alone because we didn't need you, but we need you now."
"Need me for what?" Sawyer asked.
"It is not up to me to tell you. I am here to give you your instructions. I expect you in a week's time to have left your wife. I expect you to have told her nothing of this meeting or why you are leaving her. I also expect you to tell no one else of meeting me or my friend Richard."
"Why shou…"
"Why should you leave your wife? You'll leave her because you know of what we are capable. Do you know how easy it is to miscarry at you wife's stage of pregnancy, James? Or for a woman to die giving birth?"
"You evil bas…"
"No James, I'm not evil. There is more at stake than one child and one mother. Anyway Kate's better of without you, James. Do you really think you can be an honest husband and father? You don't have it in you. At least this way it'll be a clean break. I'll leave the rest to you. You've all ways been good at breaking hearts haven't you, Sawyer."