Thank you so much for all your reviews! Here's chapter four I hope you like it!

As the sounds of the night filled the air; the trees gently swaying in the cool night breeze, the three continued walking as they pushed passed the bushes and branches that laid in their way. Kai paused as he glanced around, flinching at very sound the jungle nightlife produced.

Kai: "Okay! It's official! We're lost, we're completely lost!"

Natara:" We're not lost! We're just- okay yeah we're lost!"

The three of them stood silently as they observed their surroundings before looking back at each other.

Mal:" So…what do we do now?"

Natara:" Well there's no use wondering around in the dark, let's set up camp here and we'll set out in the morning. I'll go look for some wood to make a fire."

A little while later; Mal, Natara and Kai all sat quietly around a small campfire. As it crackled loudly, giving out a warm orange glow, Natara threw pieces of wood into the heart of the fire to keep it alive before sitting back beside Mal.

Mal:" So what do you suppose that inscription meant anyway?"

Natara: "A thousand entrances…the path protected by the dead. Could mean anything."

Kai:" I'll tell you what it means, something bad something really bad!"

Mal:" Heh…well you got us there, it's not exactly a warm welcome. Maybe this place is cursed!"

Natara rolled her eyes as she scoffed loudly.

Natara:" Oh for god'sake you two!"

Mal:" So you don't believe in curses huh?"

Natara:" No, maybe there is something going on here but I don't believe it's a curse!"

Mal chuckled under his breath as he pulled his gun from his holster and checked the mag.

Mal:" Well I believe in being prepared, you guys get some sleep. I'll keep an eye out for any more of those goons."

As night time air danced around him, Mal walked back through the jungle with more firewood. As he placed it down he glanced across at Natara, silently watching her as she sat re-reading the log book page. Mal smiled to himself as he stepped around the campfire to sit beside his wife.

Mal:" Hey thought you were going to get some sleep."

Natara:" I can't stop thinking about this inscription, I don't know of anyone who could translate it!"

Mal:" Well maybe there's someone out there smarter than you."

Natara:" I'm just saying I've never seen anything like this before. And the more I think about it; the plane losing its power, these guards appearing out of nowhere, the gateway ruins spread across the island. I know they're all connected somehow. Hang on; do you notice something about this gateway?"

Mal looked intently at the sketch of the gateway ruins drawn onto the log book page, before glancing back at Natara with confusion.

Mal:" Not really."

Natara:" The symbol above is different to the ruins we saw back at the beach."

Mal:" Wait you don't suppose it's referring to the inscription in some way."

Natara:" A thousand entrances...hmmm, so maybe it's not just those two. There's more… apparently a lot more."

Mal:" So you're saying we might have stumbled onto something here?"

Natara:" Heh more like crashed right in the middle of it, but yeah."

Mal:" But what does it mean when it says the path protected by the dead?"

Natara:" I'm not sure, maybe it's a warning? But how much are you betting that that's what those guards are looking for? Question is, what the hell does that path lead to?"

Mal:" Well if it's protected by the dead, I'm not sure I wonna know!"

Natara:" There's more to this Mal, but we're missing something."

The two fell quiet as they let the wildlife of the island sing into the night. Mal poked at the campfire to keep it burning before glancing back at Natara and smirking.

Mal:" Heh."

Natara:" What?"

Mal:" Can you remember when we first met, stuck in that cave in the Mediterranean? We didn't know where to go from there either."

Natara:" Yeah and it ended with me getting kidnapped."

Mal:" I saved you didn't I?"

Natara couldn't help the smile that spread across her face as she glanced into Mal's eyes.

Natara:" You did. That seems like such a long time ago. We've been through quite a lot since then haven't we?"

Mal sighed as he wrapped his arm around Natara's waist and gently pulled her closer.

Mal:" We're gonna get out of this Nat. We always do."

Natara leaned back into Mal as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Natara:" I know."

The following morning, Mal kicked the ashes of the fire until nothing but smoke was left as it floated into the atmosphere. Kai fastened the ties on his rucksack while Natara checked over her gun before sliding it back into her holster, should she need it.

The sun beamed down as the three made their through way through the dense jungle.

Kai:" Okay so let me get this straight; you guys think that there's a thousand entrances on this island but one leads to some kind of special path?"

Natara:" Exactly."

Kai:" But you don't know what the path leads to?"

Mal:" Right."

Kai:" And you also think that that what's these guys are looking for?"

Natara:" Yes."

Kai:" And these guys are willing to kill anyone that gets in their way."

Mal:" Yeah."

Kai:" But…but we're gonna keep going aren't we?"

Natara:" Yeah."

Kai stopped in his tracks and glared at Mal and Natara in astonishment.

Kai:" Am I the only one that thinks this is a crazy plan."

Mal and Natara both glanced at each other nonchalantly, before turning back to Kai.

Mal:" What? We've been in worst situations before."

Natara:" Come on Kai. You can't be thinking about bowing out now!"

Mal:" Yeah what have you got to lose? We're so close I bet we could-"

Natara eyes went wide as she noticed a small red dot as it sat in the middle of Mal's forehead.

Natara:" MAL LOOK OUT!"

Natara tackled Mal to the ground as a gunshot echoed through the air; Natara glanced back up to see a hole where the bullet had found its mark on a nearby tree trunk.

Natara:" You okay?"

Mal:" Yeah."

Natara climbed to her feet and helped Mal up as he let out a nervous laugh.

Mal:" Okay that was too close."

As if on cue, the jungle came alive with gunshots and barked commands from the surrounding guards. Mal, Natara and Kai took off through the dense jungle, swatting insects and thick branches out of their way while they sprinted through the plant leaves. The shouting could still be heard behind them as the guards moved further through the jungle. The three picked up their pace as they burst through the trees and bushes only to skid to a halt.

Mal:" Awww crap!"

Mal pulled back Natara who pulled back Kai, as they almost fell over the edge of the cliff before them overlooking the ravine below. Mal looked to his left to notice a narrow pathway leading further into the jungle, grabbing Natara's hand the three took off down the path; squeezing themselves through a gap in the fallen rocks.

"They went down there! Keep looking!"

Mal:" Oh, great. This just keeps gettin' better and better!"

Natara:" Quick that way!"

They quickly jumped from a small hill as they landed in a shallow stream, bullets splashed against the water's surface as more men appeared from the within the jungle. Mal, Natara and Kai moved through the jungle, dodging the bullets that burst through the tree trunks that surrounded them. As the tree-line came into view the three ran as fast as they could, bursting through the last of the trees. They quickly came to a halt as the gunfire ceased and silence surrounded them. As they stood panting for lost breath, they glanced at each other in amazement that they were still breathing.

Mal:" Ha! I think we finally lost em!"

They're attention was caught as they heard the simultaneous clicks of guns; slowly turning around to find themselves surrounded by guards.

Mal:" Oh you have got to be kidding me!"

"Hold your fire gentlemen!"

The guard's parted to make way for a smartly dressed man with glasses, he stood with his hand hovering over the revolver attracted to his belt as he glared at the three. Natara watched him intently as she narrowed her eyes. After a few seconds a wave of realization washed over her as she stood forward.

Natara:" Shawn?!"

Please review! Jade xx