PENNY'S BOAT

CHAPTER 5: INTERROGATION

The helicopter rose up slowly into the night sky. Charlotte, Miles, and Sam had stayed behind to organize the survivors while Daniel, Ray, Jack, and Lapidus carried Juliet onto the craft for the first flight out. They would send back more men in the zodiacs upon arrival.

Ray had removed the knife and was carefully tending Juliet's wound (as carefully as he could considering the circumstances). Jack had tried to help, but his hands were shaking and Daniel quickly suggested he sit down.

"So you've been here on this island ever since the crash?" Daniel asked.

Jack rubbed his face, "Uh- Yeah, yeah we've been here for… 90... 91 days now."

Daniel smiled reassuringly, but appeared concerned nevertheless, "Have you made a count of the survivors yet? Do you know who's alive and who's not?"

"We tried taking a census a few days in, but it wasn't finished. I'd say there were about 70 survivors. A few people drowned in the ocean or were impaled on tree limbs during the crash, but we were mostly alright. A few bumps and scratches, but nothing serious."

Daniel gestured to Juliet, "Until now?"

Jack nodded slowly, "There was a man named John Locke… He kept talking about destiny and the 'will of the island'. Crazy talk. I just thought he was eccentric, but then he stabbed Jul- Shannon a few minutes ago. There was a U.S. Marshall on the plane and Locke had one of his guns. I managed to fight it away from him and shoot him before he could hurt anyone else."

Daniel put his hand on Jack's shoulder, "Don't worry about that. Any court would put you in the right in that situation. And don't worry about Shannon either. The wound wasn't very deep."

The pilot, Frank, smiled as he turned back to look at Jack, "Ray's a good doctor, even if he is an asshole." "-Thanks a lot, Lapidus-" "We'll have her right as rain within a day or two. No worries."

Jack felt a little better, but he couldn't stop his heart's rapid beating. He wouldn't feel alright until they got to the boat.

The survivors were eager to talk to the new arrivals. Everyone was excited to hear what had gone on in the outside world while they were isolated on the island. Shouts of "Bush again?! Really?!" and "The Sox?! No way!" filled the air.

Kate pushed her way through the crowd so as to get a better view, and then she saw him. No… It can't be.

Sam was scanning the crowd frantically, and finally their eyes met, "Katie?"

Kate ran through the crowd. It was as if every second took an hour as her life seemed to come full circle. It was surreal to see someone she remembered so fondly from what seemed like another world standing right there in front of her on the island.

Sam, ignoring the shouted questions from the other survivors, dashed toward his daughter. For that's what she was in his mind and in hers. Nobody else would ever be called her father.

Kate and Sam embraced warmly. Tears were running down both their faces and crashing to the ground like sparkling waterfalls. Sam held on as if he'd never let go again.

"I thought I'd lost you, Katie. I thought-"

"No, Dad, you didn't lose me. I ran away. If I hadn't been running I'd never have ended up here. I'd never have-" Neither could continue speaking as their tears filled their eyes. Sam had lost his daughter a long time before the crash. She was back now after all that time. He'd never been so elated.

Ben leaned back against the tree he'd found himself bound to and thought. He did a lot of that. Thinking. If he was known for one thing, it was for being prepared, and he always had a pawn hiding somewhere.

At the moment the chessmaster was concerned about two such pieces in particular. One he'd not thought would ever be anything more than a burden. An obstacle to be avoided. Another he'd seen as a temporary tool. Both had now become exponentially more useful. And with Locke and Juliet out of commission, there'll be no spanner in the works.

He stewed a little at the thought of Juliet. He'd spent so long grooming her to be the perfect tool and he'd failed in that task due to his own foolish emotions. He cursed himself. This is why he won't appear to me. This weakness.

His thoughts turned to his nemesis. No doubt he was responsible for the crash. The Swan station system failure wasn't even enough to move the cutlery in the barracks, much less drag a plane out of the sky. I never thought he'd go this far for revenge. The boat belongs to his daughter, so I suppose he'll have a spy present. I'll just have to have my own agent eliminate him. Oh Michael how useful you've been. It's a shame we couldn't do more for your boy.

The survivors wouldn't escape. He'd have his prized possession back. Everything would go according to plan.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" A voice shouted from the right. Ben looked over and saw him, the man who'd held his burden in check. The man who'd raised his daughter as his own. Sam Austen.