I am sorry this chapter is late, but this is the last one in the book so I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think, thanks all for reading.

Queen24824: Thank you, glad you loved it!

AsukaHyuga: I'm glad Sam and Sawyer are reconnecting too, next book/season they will of course also have a lot of time together. Thanks for your review!

Guest: I loved Lost all the way through, but the ending of this season definitely was the most exciting for me. I am glad you are enjoying and I appreciate your reviews.

Excited energy sweeps the funeral at Sun's discovery. Everyone turns towards the shore to see the boat for themselves and moves toward the shoreline. I squint at the boat as I walk slowly toward the water, trying to make out any details about who is on it. Frustratingly, it is impossible to tell who is manning the vessel. I don't even see the outline of a person.

By the time I reach the water, Sawyer, Jack, and Sayid are stripping off their shoes and shirts and diving in the waves. I want to yell at them to be careful, but I know none of them will listen to me, even if they heard me. Boone comes up beside me and hands me a pair of binoculars.

"See if these help," he offers.

I take them and thank him. The binoculars magnify the boat, a small yacht, but I still can't see anybody on it. I shake my head.

"Can I try?" Kate asks, reaching out her hand for the binoculars before I answer.

I nod and hand them to her.

"What do you think about this?" Boone asks me.

"I'd love for it to be rescue but..." I sigh and lower my voice "At this point, really, what are the odds?"

Boone frowns and says "It will be okay," but he doesn't sound convinced.

I listen to the voices of the others debating what this boat could mean as I watch the men swim to the vessel and board it. Despite my concerns, I stay calm until I hear the gunshots. That makes me tense up and Boone puts a hand on my shoulder to settle me, which really only unsettles me more. Boone and I may be friends, but I've never been big on physical intimacy. Eventually, the gunshots stop and Jack gives us a thumbs-up as the boat continues to make its way to shore.

Before the boat hits the beach, Sawyer jumps out and runs through the shallow water to me.

"You're on deck for this one, grey eyes. Apparently Desmond is back, whoever that is."

"Desmond?" I question out loud, trying to remember where I'd heard the name. It comes to me in a flash. "He was the guy who used to be in the hatch!"

"The crazy one?" Boone asks.

I nod. "To be fair, he was alone down there for a while. What did he say?"

"Nothing that made sense. He's pretty drunk."

Jack and Sayid get off the boat, supporting a stumbling Desmond and wading through the water. Sawyer eyes the situation. "Good luck with that," he tells me before walking back up the beach.

There isn't really much we can do for Desmond, he's too drunk to offer us any concrete information about where he's been. He refuses to stop drinking, but he also drinks the water we give him, although at a much slower rate than the alcohol. Sensing that he needs some space, I pull Jack aside.

"When he left, I didn't think he had a boat," Jack grits out when we are alone.

"I know. For now, I think we should just give him some space. Keep an eye on him, but he needs to adjust to the fact that he's stuck back on this island again." I think back to how defeated Sawyer looked when he woke up in the hatch and I had to tell him we weren't saved. And as much as all of us want to leave this island, I know Desmond wants it more. It was in his eyes when I first meet him. The time has given him a desperation that is agonizing.

"People are cooking, there will be hot food in- 30 minutes. Let him calm down, then we can bring him some food."

"Fine," Jack says stonily. "I can watch him."

I glance at Desmond. "Okay, one more thing. About Micheal- what do you think about his story?" I know Jack well enough to know that an outright accusation won't go over well with him. Better to gauge where his head is at first.

"It's hard to know anything for sure about the others, but Micheal's the best lead we've got. I know it's risky, but I think this is the best choice."

"Jack, his story doesn't add up. I mean think about it... Why would Henry, or whoever he really is, leave Micheal alive? He killed Ana and Libby."

"Micheal could have gotten lucky," Jack says, but his demeanor waves. His eyes meet mine.

"You don't get lucky with the others. And you already think I'm right. How long have you suspected Micheal was lying?"

"I didn't say I agreed with you-" Jack says, right as Sayid cuts him off.

"You shouldn't have told her about our suspicions," Sayid scolds Jack. "The less people who know, the better."

"He didn't. I had my own suspicions," I tell Sayid. "Do you guys have a plan?"

"We didn't, but now I do. We want to take advantage of the situation and strike against the others when they least expect it. At first, I didn't know how, but I believe fate has given us our answer. The boat."

"The boat?" Jack asks.

"The camp Micheal is leading you to, across the island, that is where they will set their trap. While Micheal leads you by land, I can approach far more quickly by sea, and I can go ashore undetected."

"Go ashore and do what?" I ask.

"Scout them- their numbers and positions, their weapons. Then I'll go to the nearest beach and start a signal fire with these." Sayid holds up some leaves. "They burn with a dark, black smoke. You and your team will come meet me at that signal and we will go in together."

Jack shakes his head. "We're not even sure if Micheal's been- been turned by them."

"He has been turned," Sayid says confidently while I say

"I'm sure."

Jack looks between the two of us, hesitating. "We'll have to tell Kate, Hurley, and Sawyer what we're doing."

"No," Sayid dissents. "Micheal cannot sense we know he is lying. All we have is the element of surprise, Jack."

I ignore the fact that I've already told Sawyer. Once I update him, he'll put on a convincing enough act. "He's right," I tell Jack. "We are always at a disadvantage with the others. If you really want to go forward with Micheal's trap, then we need every advantage we can get."

Jack is silent for a beat before he nods. "Black smoke, huh?"

Sayid nods. "This time, they will know we are coming."

"Alright," Jack agrees. "We'll keep it between us, and we'll meet you at the beach when we see the signal."

Sayid doesn't stick around long after we iron out the plan. "I guess we should get Desmond some food now," I say.

"You knew I was lying when you brought up Micheal before Sayid even confirmed it. How could you tell?" Jack asks as we walk over to the food pavilion.

If it was Sawyer, I wouldn't tell him, at least not without a fight. But Jack's not asking so he can hide his tells and con me, so I answer him. "Your eyes, you always look people in the eyes when you lie to them, except when you play cards. You think it makes you look more honest."

"It doesn't?"

"Usually it does, that's just your tell, so it makes you look suspicious."

Jack shakes his head. "You and Sawyer really are perfect for each other, even if he is a Jackass."

I roll my eyes and ignore his comment. "Let's just get the food."

I sit down next to Desmond with my plate of food and Jack hands Desmond the plate we made for him.

Desmond refuses it wordlessly. Jack sets the food down on the sand next to Desmond and lets out a frustrated sigh. "So, before you ran off, I guess you just forgot to mention that you still had a sailboat." When Desmond stays silent, Jack pushes forward with a question. "Why'd you come back?"

Desmond laughs humorlessly. "Do you think I did it on purpose? I was sailing for two and a half weeks bearing due west and making 9 knots. I should have been in Fiji in less than a week. But the first piece of land I saw wasn't Fiji, was it? No, no, it was here, this... this island. And you know why? Because this is it. This is all there is left- this ocean and this place here. We are stuck in a bloody snow globe!" Desmond grows increasingly angry as he talks, his hand flying in rageful gesticulations until he is shouting. "There's no outside world. There's no escape!" Desmond stops shouting and moves away from Jack's face. "So just... just go, yeah? Let me drink."

Jack hesitates, but after a moment, he glances at me and walks off without another word. With Jack gone, Desmond seems to notice me for the first time. I expect him to yell again, for me to leave him alone, but when he talks, it is quiet and defeated. "Are you still pushing it?"

"Yeah, we are."

I reach over Desmond to hand him his plate of food again. "Just eat it. It won't make you any less drunk. Food doesn't sober you up, time does. But it will help with the hangover in the morning."

Desmond sets the food in his lap but makes no move to eat it. I don't push him, and I don't say anything else. I finish my food in silence, sitting in the quiet night with Desmond. It's not much, but despite his objections Desmond needs someone right now. He might not want to talk, but he shouldn't be alone. When I finish eating, I stand up and tell Desmond goodnight.

I wonder about a lot of things as I walk away from Desmond and back to my tent. How much of what he said was the alcohol? How much was true? I don't know anything about sailing, or geography, so on a technical level, it's impossible to decode Desmond's path through the sea. But mostly I wonder about tomorrow. How will everything go? How will the camp react to Desmond while we are all gone?

I'm on autopilot, so when Boone is waiting outside my tent, I nearly run into him.

"Jesus, you scared me! Is everything okay?"

His voice is uncertain, and his stance is uneasy. "Yeah, I just wanted to see you before you leave. I know it will be hectic tomorrow."

"It's going to be fine. We'll be back in a couple of days, three at most," I reassure him.

Boone is silent, and he looks at me with strange eyes. I wait for him to say something, but he never does. Instead, he moves towards me. The movement is so quick and jarring that I don't even have time to process it before his lips are on mine. He's kissing me and for a second I panic before I push him away and step back myself. "What are you doing?!"

"I had to, I had to Samantha, before you left. I have a bad feeling about this and I just- I wanted to do that at least once."

"We're friends," I say numbly, still processing the shock. They're words I've said a million times to Sawyer, but I mean them now, in a way I've never meant them with Sawyer.

Boone shakes his head and moves closer to me. I tense, ready to move if he touches me. "We could be good like this, as more. You think you don't deserve this, but you do. I love you, Sam. You just have to let me."

His words send a chill down my spine. I could fill a book with things Boone doesn't know about me, he doesn't love me. The thought is absurd. I shake my head and take control of my words. "Boone, I care about you, and I'm glad we're friends. But I don't feel that way, and I've never been good at relationships. And I know you care about me, but you don't love me. I was just there for you during the worst time of your life."

Boone stiffens as I speak. He looks like he wants to argue, but that spark fades when I finish speaking. "I'm sorry," he says. "But just think about it. While you're gone, think about it. We would be good together. Stay safe, Sam."

"I will," I tell him. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Boone echoes me before walking away.

I sigh quietly and push my palms against my face. I need to go find Sawyer and update him on the plan for tomorrow, but I can't right away. After a minute, I gather myself and walk to Sawyer's tent.

Sawyer is sitting out in front of his tent, reading a book in the firelight. I sit next to him and he puts his book down and looks at me expectantly. I quickly update him on everything about Sayid's plan, and what Desmond told us.

"So the doc really believes that Mike's on their side now," Sawyer says when I finish.

I shake my head. "He doesn't really, but he'd rather have a plan. But he still thinks there's a possibility Micheal is telling the truth."

"But you don't"

I shrug. "It's possible. I just don't think it's likely."

"Then why are you even going? If you think Mike's leading us into a trap, it's safer to just stay here."

"It's always safer to stay here. When do I sit out of things?" What I don't say is that a not-so-small part of me doesn't mind the idea of walking into a trap. If I die, I die. Better me than any of the others going on this mission.

Sawyer looks at me, and I steadily meet his gaze, waiting for him to talk. It's like a game of chicken. Who will say what they are thinking first? Sawyer may not know what happened between me and Boone just by looking at me, but I know he can see the thoughts swirling in my head. But I refuse to be the one who speaks first, not tonight, not about Boone. There's no reason for me to tell Sawyer. Telling him would be admitting, out loud, that on some level I owe telling him that. Plus I don't want him to know that he was right about Boone.

"How bad do you think things could get if Mike really did sell us out?" Sawyer finally asks.

"We should be fine if everything goes according to plan."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then we've just got to hope we're smarter than them."

"If we get separated, let's me and you meet up somewhere," Sawyer says brashly.

I nod, liking the idea of a second plan. "Ou- the waterfall," I decide. "The one you found in the jungle. We both know where it is, but no one will expect us to be there. And it's not exposed like the beach."

Sawyer nods. "Then, whatever happens, we can figure it out together."

The next morning comes before I know it, and Jack is passing out guns.

I take mine and sling it over my back. My hair is secured in a braided bun on top of my head. It's the only real way I can prepare, beyond the guns and our plans, and it frustrates me. All I have packed in my bag is a water bottle and a small pocket knife.

Hurley looks panicked when Jack hands him a gun. "No way. If I take that, I'm gonna kill someone."

"Ain't that the point," Sawyer remarks.

"I thought the point was to get Walt back."

"We have to protect ourselves too, Hurley," I tell him. I take the gun and show him how to use the safety before turning it on and handing it to him. "Don't touch it unless you need to, and you'll be fine."

Hurley still looks uneasy, but he takes the weapon. "Thanks, Sam."

Kate is talking to Jack, and I catch the tail end of what she's saying. "What if these people just want us to think they're hillbillies?"

Micheal is sitting, but he stands at Kate's suggestion. "Listen, listen, I was there. I saw them. They are hillbillies. They live in huts. They eat fish. They are probably more scared than we are, and they don't even know we're on our way."

I know Sayid's right, that we can't show Micheal we're suspicious at all, but he's really making it hard.

"Alright, enough jibber jabber. Let's roll." Sawyer says. I follow after him without another word, grateful for the excuse to ignore Micheal.

Nobody talks much as we walk through the jungle. We have a long way to hike and no one wants to waste their energy with words. Micheal takes the lead, and Jack trails close behind him, with Kate beside him. Hurley takes the middle and I trial in the back with Sawyer close behind me.

I scan the ground of the forest as we walk, keeping a lookout for traps. I've seen a few of Rousseau's traps, and while I don't know how far they span, it seems smart to keep an eye out for now. So when Sawyer tries to grab a doll as we pass, I am quick to stop him.

"Leave it," I hiss, grabbing his arm to physically stop him. "It's a trap, a net." I glance up and point to the net above us. "Rousseau has them all over the island, but they are more concentrated in this area."

Sawyer glances up before we continue walking. "How the hell would you know that?"

I roll my eyes. "Jack and Kate tripped one the other night."

Sawyer stops walking and laughs.

I turn to look at him. "What?"

He catches up with me, and we walk together. "Well, the doc told me Kate and him got caught in a net. I thought he meant... something else."

I give him a judgemental look and shake my head. "You have a dirty mind."

"Like you wouldn't have thought the same thing!"

"No, when did he tell you this? It had to be recently."

"Yesterday, when we were getting the guns."

"So you thought that after two people had died, and we were planning to go after the others, that Jack's priority was telling you about his sex life?"

Sawyer shrugs.

I shake my head. "You're unbelievable."

"All the girls say that, sweetheart," Sawyer says with a devilish grin.

A branch snaps ahead, cutting off our conversation. Everyone is immediately on guard, guns ready. No one talks, but we form a circle, covering every angle of the woods surrounding us. A large bird comes flying down, letting out a strange cry. I duck down, covering my head as the bird flies away. Micheal shoots his gun, but no shot is fired. I can just hear his gun clicking as he spams the trigger. No one else seems to notice Micheal, save Jack. I focus on the others, trying to keep their attention away from Micheal's empty gun.

"Did that bird just say my name?" Hurley asks, catching his breath.

"Yeah, it did, right before it crapped gold," Sawyer replies.

Hurley looks at me, and I shrug my shoulder. "I try not to think too hard about stuff on this island."

Kate nods. "We're all tired. Try to just focus on our goal. We need to keep moving. We only have so much daylight left."

The next morning, Micheal takes the lead again, as we set off for another day of walking.

Sawyer is debating something with Micheal. Behind them follow Hurley, then Kate. I trail the group with Jack.

"How long do you figure?" I ask Jack quietly.

Jack glances across the riverbed. "Sayid should signal soon." He glances across the river again.

"I see them too," I whisper. There are people following us. They've probably been following us the whole time, but at least since this morning. The only reason we can notice them now is the trees are more clear across the river.

We pass by Kate and Sawyer.

"Should we do something?" Jack asks.

Gunshots cut off any response I might give. I duck and scan our group as I ready my gun. Sawyer and Kate are already shooting. Sawyer hits one, but the other one runs off. I jump off the bank and cross the river to the fallen man.

"He's dead. We have to find the other one!" Kate says, already running after the other man.

"No!" Jack shouts.

I grab Sawyer's arm before he can run after Kate. "There's no point," I tell him lowly.

Sawyer jerks away. "You don't know that."

"I'm going-"

"I said no!" Jack cuts her off.

Sawyer turns to Jack. "You crazy?! You let him go, they'll know we're coming! He'll warn them-"

"It doesn't matter if we catch him now," Jack says, breathing deeply. He turns to Micheal. "They've already been warned."

"What do you mean?" Kate asks unsteadily.

Jack crosses the river again, so he is standing right in front of Micheal. "Why don't you tell them, Micheal?"

"Jack-" Kate's voice is unsteady as she walks towards the two men.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Micheal says.

"Stop lying!" Jack shouts. His breaths are still uneven and sharp. "Tell them."

"Tell them what-"

Jack shoves Micheal, pushing him back until he has him pinned against a tree. "I know what you're doing Micheal! Now tell them the truth!"

"Jack-" Micheal pleas.

I've never seen Jack this out of control, but I don't have any sympathy for Micheal. If it were me, I'd kill him. He shakes Micheal. "Tell them!"

"It was the only way," Micheal finally says. "They gave me a list."

"What list?" Jack asks.

"It had your names on it. I had to bring all five of you back or they said I'd never see my son again."

It's only a confirmation of what I already suspected, but it still feels like a punch in the gut.

"Who are they?" Jack asks. He's finally stepped away from Micheal but he still stands close enough to guard against any sudden movements.

"You let Henry go?" Kate asks. Sawyer is standing behind her, and his expression holds a level of betrayal that I didn't expect. Some of it is an act, I know that. But it makes me wonder, how much did Sawyer really believe me? How much of him expected Micheal not to betray us?

Micheal nods silently. Jack lunges forward and grabs Micheal's gun from off of him.

"Did you kill them?" Hurley asks. His voice is quiet and I see tears in the corner of his eyes. "Ana Lucia and Libby? Did you?"

Micheal turns to Hurley now. "I had to. I couldn't find any other way, and Libby was a mistake. I-I- I didn't have time to think." Micheal's words are muddled, as if he is trying not to cry and something about this disgusts me more than anything else. He did this, he killed them, and now he's leading us to people who want to kill us. He has no right to be upset. My hands rest on my gun and I itch to pull the trigger, even though I know it is the wrong choice. After my dad, I swore I would never kill another human being, but right now that oath seems worth breaking.

"But if you did have time... you still would have killed her, right?"

"I'm sorry," Micheal says desperately. "You do understand. I am sorry, right? I'm sorry," Micheal repeats the words like they mean anything now, in the wake of everything. "I- this is my son!" Micheal shouts.

"I'm going back," Hurley says. He sounds sick.

"No Hurley," Jack follows after him. "Hurley you can't."

"We're all gonna get killed, and you knew it and you let us come anyway."

"It's too late to go back now, Hurley," Jack tells him. "We already caught them following us once, if they don't believe that we trust Micheal, they'll kill us all!"

"I'm sorry that I didn't say anything. But you have to know that I would never bring you out here if I didn't have a plan!"

"What plan?" Sawyer asks, with enough venom in his voice that if I didn't know he already knew all this, I would be convinced he was as surprised as Kate and Hurley are.

I switch between different shades of surprise as Jack fills the others in, and I pray it all goes well.

The tone of the group is notably somber when we continue on. The silence is audible. We walk through an opening in the trees and out to the edge of a large open field. Kate stops us. I turn and look at where she is, and below is the field is filled with cylindrical pipeline tubes. There are tons of them, and they look so unnatural piled up in the grassy field. A few tube systems jut out of the ground, their openings hanging above the piles.

We slowly approach the tubes, guns ready.

"What are they?" Hurley asks.

Kate kneels down and opens one of the tubes. She pulls a rolled-up composition notebook from it. She unrolls it and flips through it. "Handwritten. And it's all filled, the whole book. They're journals." She starts reading entries. "0400 SR move ping-pong table again. 0415 takes a shower. What is this?"

I glance over her shoulder and see a whole page of times and observations.

"Hey doc," Sawyer calls. "What did you say Sayid's signal was gonna be when the coast was clear to hit that beach party?"

I walk closer to Sawyer, following his line of sight to the black smoke.

Kate comes up behind us. "That means he found them, right?"

"That's miles from here," Jack realizes. He turns to Micheal. "Where were you taking us?"

"What?"

"Sayid said he'd light the signal so we could meet him at the shore. Why aren't we going to the beach?"

"We are heading to the be-"

Jack cuts Micheal off with an angry shout. "We're nowhere near the beach!"

"Listen, I had to-"

"What?!" Jack shouts. I want to scream at Micheal too, tell him I'm tired of hearing about what he had to do, when he's putting our lives on the line. It's the whispers that stop me. They make the hair on my neck stand up and come from every angle of the jungle surrounding us. The field is too big, and we are to spread out to form a protective circle. We are completely exposed as we scramble to cover every angle.

Something hits Sawyer, and in seconds he drops to the ground. I don't know what it is, but I hit the ground before one can hit me. Jack shouts for us to run, but I hardly hear him. I army crawl to Sawyer, who is convulsing on the ground.

"Oh god," I murmur when I reach him. There is a dart embedded in his neck. I tear it out and pray nothing bleeds. Muffled gunshots echo around me, and I don't know if they are from us or them. I see Jack carrying Kate and I try to pull Sawyer to his feet. He's deadweight, but it doesn't matter. As soon as I get him upright, something pierces my shoulder. The pain is unbearable, and it seeps the strength from my arms and my body. Soon the pain is gone, and I am just numb as I collapse next to Sawyer's body.

I can vaguely see figures crowding around us, people I don't know. They are shoving a bag on my head, but I can't fight them. The world just fades away.

When I come to, my hands are tied behind my back and a sack is over my head, blocking any vision. A gag bites into my cheeks. I try to feel around me to get my bearings, but before I can tell anything or come up with a plan out of my restraints, I am being tugged to my feet and marched forward. I struggle against my captor's grasp, but they are much stronger than me. Their hands clasp down on my shoulders hard enough to break something, and I stop fighting. Instead, I focus on trying to figure out where we are. We are still outside, the damp air of the island confirms that. I can't see anything but a faint light through my sack. The ground beneath me is soft, grass or dirt, I guess. Until it is not. It feels like we are marching across wood planks. We come to a sudden stop and I am forced to my knees. Someone pulls the bag off my head and I blink in the bright daylight.

I quickly take in my surroundings, not sure how much time we'll have to observe. We are on a dock, surrounded by the ocean. A ton of the others circle us, and Micheal stands among them. They have the five of us lined up in a row. Kate is to my right and Sawyer is to my left, writhing and cursing. Someone hits him, and it lights a fire to escape under me. I start struggling again, not just to be free but I want to hurt them, these people who've kidnapped us.

The bearded man cocks a gun. "Hey, let's all just calm down," he says firmly. I look up at him, unable to contain the murder in my eyes.

Kate mumbles something against her gag.

"Sorry missy. I didn't get ya," the man says.

Another woman addresses the man. "She says she knows your beard is fake, Tom."

Tom, if that is his name, looks at Kate. "Well, thanks for pointing that out Kate." He rips his beard off, followed by his mustache. "I can't tell you how much this thing itches." Tom turns to the woman who addressed him. "Thanks for telling them my name, Bea." He sounds angry, but I'm not convinced. Maybe Tom is his name, maybe it's not. What does it matter? We don't need to know their names to know they are our enemies.

I can hear the waves rippling, and from behind the others, I see a small motorized boat pull up to the dock. I watch as not Henry disembarks it and walks over towards us.

Everyone is looking at him as he makes his way to the center of the dock, not just the five of us. He's important. The man comes to a stop before Jack. "Hello again," he greets, too polite to be kind. He looks down the line at us, and I fight to keep my expression neutral. I don't want him to see how angry I am. After he surveys us, our former prisoner looks at Tom. "Where's your beard?"

"I think they... know," Tom tells him.

Henry turns to Micheal, his tone cool as he addresses him. "Alright, let's take care of business, shall we?"

Before Micheal can settle anything with this man, a loud sonic hum fills the air. The sky flashes bright white, and the hum grows louder and piercing. It is loud and silent at the same time, like the echoes that are left with after an explosion. I fight against my ties, trying to get my hands free to cover my ears. The sky glows brighter white and I give up trying to free my hands and shove my head down, trying to shield my ears with my body. The sky turns purple, and I close my eyes and wait for it to end. My eyes are only closed for a second when the sound stops. I look up and watch the sky return to normal. Then I turn to Sawyer, and then the other people around us.

Micheal is walking down the dock with Henry, and their voices are distant as the humming echoes in my ears. After they talk for a few minutes Micheal gets on the boat, and drives it away. Henry walks back to us. He points at Hurley, and in seconds his men are pulling Hurley up and freeing him from his restraints.

A woman is cutting off his hand ties, and she speaks to Hurley. "Hugo, you can go back to your camp."

"What?" Hurley's voice is confused and scared.

"Go back. Your job is to tell the rest of your people that they can never come here."

Hurley looks back at us. "But what about my friends?"

I know his fight is useless. They didn't go through all this effort to kidnap us to let us go free. And they vastly outnumbered us. Even if we were all not tied up we wouldn't stand a chance. But I admire Hurley for fighting for us after Micheal lead us here and left us.

Henry's voice is calm as he looks down at us and then back up at Hurley. "Your friends are coming home with us."

"Go," the woman says.

Hurley looks at all of us again, and I meet his gaze and nod. I hope he will make it back, or find Sayid, put together a rescue team. But as I watch him walk down the dock my stomach fills with dread as I realize that we are the rescue team. When has anything happened on this island that at least one of the four of us wasn't involved with, or leading? Jack and Locke fight over it, but Jack's the leader. Everyone looks to him by default. It's no coincidence that they choose to kidnap the four people who lead every mission and exploration for our camp.

I am yanked to my feet. Before they can put the bags back over our heads, or drug us, I look at Sawyer. His gaze meets mine and I want to anchor myself to him. I don't know where they are going to take us, or what they are going to do to us, but somehow I feel as if we can make it through this, as long as we are together. But that seems foolish as they pull the bag back over my head.

End of chapter. And, end of book. Please let me know what you think and if you'd like me to continue with the third season. One note about this chapter, the scene where Sam knows when Jack is lying is inspired by a similar scene between Jack and Kate. Jack and Sam don't have any sort of romantic relationship, but I feel like Sam would be able to catch Jack's tell too. - K