26.

Sweep The Island – I'm On A Boat (Get Me Off Remix) – Meanwhile! – Rescue Mission – Reunion – El-ahrairah Sympathizes

"Uh-oh," Ben said. His tone was mild but he dropped the binoculars from his eyes with a quick, clipped movement. "Bernard, get ready to move everyone inside the temple as far underground as you can get and as fast as possible."

Bernard glanced down at the far field and noted the scurry of movement. "They didn't get the order they expected."

"That gives us an extra few seconds to move. Go. Now."

The older man stepped back into the stone arch and placed a hand on cool, dark stone, as if to steady himself. "What about you?"

"Hare to the hound. I'll buy another few seconds while they shoot at me."

"Linus!" The possible implications of the act were not lost on him.

Ben whirled on Bernard, eyes ablaze. His voice came out in a ragged scream. "I said go!"

. . .

"We have to hide until we get boarded, if we get boarded and even then, we gotta be really careful. The nest just freaked the fuck out, guys." Kyra grabbed the doc's shoulder and shoved him down one of the lesser used hallways. "There's no promise these assholes won't Jonestown on us instead of taking on whoever the new kids are. Shit, maybe they're backup."

"They're with Hanso." Penelope kept her grip on Charlie, keeping the little boy's face nestled into her shoulder for comfort. "The flag they're flying; it's their corporate mark." She jutted her chin up at Kyra's startled look. "I saw it for just a second on the monitors back there."

"...Good eyes." Kyra began to move again, hustling forward to glance down both paths of the next junction. It was clear. "You think that's good news?"

"I hope so."

"Backup for us?" Kyra shook her head and took the left. "It doesn't matter. Doc, quit getting in front of me. They're not that stupid, cargo knows it was a tall black guy that told them to add a barrel and they'll be happy to shoot your ass."

"Was a good plan, though."

"It was a terrific plan." She flashed him a grin. "You ever get sick of science, I have some great connections for you."
"Lady, there isn't enough stomach medication in the world to get me through that stress daily."

"Ain't that some truth." Kyra snorted, then ducked when the ship's PA system began to squeal.

. . .

ATTENTION, STAFF. ALL ARMED PERSONNEL ARE TO FORM AT THE UPPER DECKS TO PREPARE TO REPEL BOARDERS, EXCLUDING SQUAD 571. SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL ARE TO ORGANIZE IN THE LOWER CARGO DECK. PLEASE PROCEED CALMLY.

. . .

Doc squinted. "What's Squad 571?"

"I'm not going to go ask. They might sweep for stragglers. Shit." Kyra paused the group at another junction, signs indicating paths to the mess, to the cabins, and back towards the labs and cargo. "Let's get into the mess. Might be some cubbyholes in there we can co-opt."

Penelope glanced down the hallway she indicated. "Best shot?"

"Worked in Jurassic Park."

"We aren't dealing with velociraptors."

"Are you absolutely certain about that?" Kyra arched an eyebrow. "Okay, you look pretty certain. Yeah, best shot. All we gotta do is lay low and outlast this." I hope, she thought. "I want that kid of yours to have a chance at seeing all the good Spielberg flicks after this," she said out loud instead.

. . .

Yeoksam-dong, South Korea

When the call came from the front desk, Woo-Jung Paik left his office and waited quietly in his second boardroom. His fingers traced the lip of one the Jeulmon pottery bowls he kept as he sat in a fine mahogany chair, centered in his grand golden window. He looked out upon his imperial view, rendered prosaic and glaring in the full daylight, and his thoughts were empty, save for a single thought.

I have been betrayed.

The door opened behind him and he raised his chin to stare out over the horizon.

"Mr. Paik." The voice was a quiet, courtly Southern drawl. "I am an agent of Interpol, offering liaison assistance to local and international enforcement. As such, I do not have the authority to arrest you."

"But I am to be under arrest," Paik interjected in English.

"You are most correct." The voice was suddenly much closer. Slightly startled, Paik glanced to his right and spied the tall, slender man all in black. He was nearly a looming gargoyle. Pale, spidery fingers reached down and plucked the precious antique from his lap. "How lovely. Late Jeulmon, clearly. Like many simple and elegant arts, ended via encroachment of those with shortsighted, violent goals." There was a note of reproach in the man's voice and the bowl lifted further away to be placed reverentially back on its pedestal.

"As we stand here, the Helgus Antonius is being intercepted by those with the best chance of resolving that situation. I pray that they have arrived in time to do so. Meanwhile, I am under the impression that you do not have a full understanding of what Dr. Mittelwerk has done under your purview."

"Mittelwerk is his own man." Paik pursed his lips and turned away.

"And yet your name marks many trails. A shame, then, that your name will be associated with the greatest potential threat of biological terrorism in modern history. The charges will be outlined to you shortly. But there will be blood on your hands, and all of humanity will know you for that."

The man swooped down into Paik's view, fixing the Korean man's dark eyes with his own pale, unreadable ones. "I grant you the first full punishment of these acts that you can suffer: You will never see your grandchild. That is promised."

Paik tried to rise in wounded fury, but a deceptively strong hand held him down in place. A moment later, KNPA officers marched into the boardroom and made the arrest official.

. . .

Richard Alpert grabbed Desmond's arm to tug him out of the way of a lone mercenary. "I checked with the patrol on this floor, nothing. There's nobody else alive yet."

"She's here." Desmond whirled on him, nearly spitting. "Everyone always asks about faith on this fucking island. There's my faith. She's here, my son is here, and they will be all right. That's my faith."

Alpert nodded. "I know. There's several floors left. They're just getting into the cabins and the mess area. No identification out of the cargo deck."

Desmond eyed him. "You're certain."

"So far. Desmond, I will not lie to you."

. . .

Through an intermediary, Alvar Hanso had provided a transport ship and a small contingent of discreet mercenaries of his own to intercept Mittelwerk. The skirmish on deck had been brief, the Korean mafia fighters desperate but ultimately outgunned by the trained, international squad of professionals. A handful jumped into the water to escape and were being watched for. The rest of the ship had been eerily silent. Scouts had gone ahead to do a fast sweep ahead of a full search, halting at the cargo hold. Had Kyra Glaukopis been with them, she might have added a sardonic told you that was coming.

Several dozen scientists lay dead, scattered around the hold. Many had suicided quietly when ordered – the rest appeared to have been shot by the small squad of also-suicided men at the doorway. The smell of gunfire hung heavy in the air; grimly, the order to fall had likely come the moment successful invasion was certain. Other fires burned in the labs above, a last ditch attempt to cover their intent.

. . .

Penelope's eyes met Kyra's in the dark of the large food cabinet. A tiny crack allowed just enough light and sound to communicate silently. An industrial sized can of tomato sauce dug into her back but she held still. Footsteps clanged up and down the mess outside. Kyra's expression was tense, her hand up in a position that meant hold. Ellis was in the next cabinet, prepared to not move until they did.

"Check in the back. Anybody?"

"Nothing, sir. Want me to check the cabinets?"

"Next sweep. It's unlikely. Nobody down in the cabins, either."

Penelope furrowed her brow. She mouthed to Kyra. I think these are safe.

Kyra stared evenly back. Maybe.

"PENNNNY!" The name came out a roar. "Dammit, love, I know you're around here somewhere!"

Kyra's lips quirked, the little motion visible in the dim. That your fella? Penelope grinned back, Charlie fussing loudly at the sound of his father's voice. She didn't try to restrain him. Kyra slammed the door open, causing the two mercenaries to take a defensive position. She popped the two men a thumbs up. "How's your day goin', guys? Ours just improved."

"Des!"

Kyra leaned back and let the blond woman push quickly past her.

"Penny!"

"ELLLIIIIS!" The doctor opened the neighboring cabinet and fixed Kyra with a long, confused look. She shrugged back and cleared her throat. "I was feeling left out."

. . .

If Benjamin Linus had a spirit animal, it was clearly a rabbit. The comparison – oft invoked by himself – bit sharply as he managed to functionally tree himself in a patch of thick jungle a half mile away from the temple. He considered it acceptable; at least half the jopok had broken from the main group to give chase to him and that upped the odds of the other islanders outlasting the rest. Given enough time and terrain superiority, any force could be expelled from the island. He knew this from grave and horrible experience. It often meant sacrifice, however, and the hour of his may have drawn close. At least eight men patrolled nearby. One had come near enough that Ben thought he could smell aftershave.

I did promise to not harm anyone, Hugo. But if I am indeed cornered, I will take a few of them with me. For others. For your safety. His lips tightened. His old friend and companion, the slender tactical baton, waited lightly in his hand. He played a hundred different combat scenarios in his mind, ready.

A spatter of close gunfire broke the sky and he hunkered in a dip by a banyan tree on instinct. Birds screamed avian obscenity and then fell quiet again.

And quiet.

And only silence, save for the returning buzz of insects in the tall grass. Still, he did not move. He could wait to be sure. He could wait a very long time.

And then -

"Ben?"

"...Hugo?" He whispered the name.

"I think it's over, dude. They, uh... they're all kinda..."

"I heard. They're dying, then. They gave up." Ben closed his eyes, then opened them and rose from his hiding place. Hurley stood at the edge of the tangled patch, framed in clear sunlight. The big man looked at Ben, clearly worried for him. The irony of that made Ben laugh and he worked his way out to pat Hurley's arm. "Everything is going to be all right."