The group were quickly distracted as they heard shouts coming from the treeline, as a familiar face emerged and sprinted towards them. Kali's eyes were drawn to his hands which were bound behind his back, and the fear plastered across his face.
"Jin!" Sawyer exclaimed, as the man in question tripped in front of them.
Michael and Sawyer rushed forward to help to unbind the frightened man, but Kali was more concerned with what he was running from. Jin wasn't making any sense to them, as Kali cursed the fact that the older man knew so little English.
"Others…Others!" Jin panted, as Kali watched a group marching out of the treeline.
Kali opened her mouth to tell them to run, but the words died in her mouth when her eyes connected with one of the men in the group. Someone she knew far too well.
"No…" Kali trailed off, taking a step back.
Her feet were begging her to run, but she was in too much shock to move a muscle. Sawyer seemed to notice her reaction, as the tall man walked to the front of the group, his eyes on Kali alone. There was a tense silence from both the groups, as the man continued to approach them until he was a few metres away, a sinister-looking smile on his face. Sawyer had to admit the man was attractive, from his brown eyes so dark they almost seemed black, to his well trimmed beard, and the tight blue shirt he wore which emphasised the muscles underneath.
"Well…aren't you a sight for sore eyes" He grinned at Kali.
Kali paled even more at the comment, looking like she was seconds away from throwing up. Sawyer's eyes flitted down as he saw something drop from underneath the man's sleeve and realised it was an expandable baton. Before Sawyer could warn Kali, the man had raised his arm and swung it against her head, instantly knocking her out. The man lunged forward to catch Kali before she could hit the ground, her eyes fluttering shut. The last thing she heard was Sawyer yelling her name.
Her hearing was the first thing to return as she slowly woke up. She could hear someone talking from nearby. Not just anyone. Sawyer. He sounded angry, almost murderously angry. The next thing that occurred to her was a cold object being pressed against her aching head. Kali raised a hand to touch the painful spot as she tried to remember what had happened.
"Sorry about that" A voice mumbled near her ear, as her eyes shot open.
She instantly flinched away from his hand that was holding a wet cloth against the wound on her head. The wound that he had caused. Kali tried to back up further but found that she was already backed up against a surface. Looking up she realised that she was in a pit, a large one at that, but there was no escape but up. Kali's eyes connected with the man's brown eyes who was looming over her, as her hands balled into fists. The man jumped backwards when Kali suddenly stood, her lip curling up in anger, looking all but ready to explode.
"I can explain…" The man trailed off, holding his hands up.
"Explain? How the fuck are you going to explain?! You bastard!" Kali cried, lunging forward and shoving the man back so hard he almost fell backwards.
Sawyer had never seen her look so furious in all the time he knew her, as she swung her arm forward and hit the man squarely in the jaw. He stumbled backwards a few steps, looking back up at her with dark eyes, his lip now split.
"You lying…" Kali exclaimed as she thrust her hand forward to hit him again, but he caught her wrist.
"Stop. Stop! You done?" The man told her, grabbing her other arm to hold her in place.
The murderous rage behind her eyes seemed to simmer down if only a little. She suddenly seemed uncomfortable with how close she was standing to the man and tried to pull away but he wouldn't let her.
"Leave her alone!" A voice spat, as Kali turned to see Sawyer for the first time, his hands bound behind his back and tied to a log.
"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt her" The man huffed, in annoyance, letting go of her wrists.
"My head wound would say otherwise" Kali pointed out, as the man scoffed harshly.
"We both know you deserved that" The man insisted, wiping his bleeding lip with the back of his hand.
"How the hell are you here?" Kali couldn't help but ask.
"That trail that you were following in Sydney? Well…it was me. Your brother sent me as a decoy. I was there to make sure you got on and off the plane at the right times. Clearly, it didn't work out" The man went on.
"Glad to see you've been upgraded from guard dog to expendable lacky" Kali muttered, as the man grit his teeth.
"Who is this guy, Kali?" Sawyer called over, sensing the tension between the two.
"Billy Kingston. I'd shake your hand but…you seem a little tied up" He stated, with a smirk, ushering to the rope that bound Sawyer's hands behind his back.
"Come a little closer and we'll see who lands on top" Sawyer insisted, as Billy grinned.
"I like this guy. I bet you do too, huh?" Billy suggested, making Kali roll her eyes.
"Who are those people with you?" Kali asked, changing the subject quickly.
"From the tail section of the plane. We're the only ones left" Billy confessed.
"What happened to the rest?" Kali frowned, seeing how Billy tensed at the question.
"You met the Others yet?" Billy inquired.
"They took my son" Michael interjected, as Billy looked over his shoulder at him.
"He's probably dead" Billy stated, dismissively.
"Wow, Bill. Don't bother sugar-coating it" Kali muttered.
"Right. Your son is probably dead, sorry for your loss…better?" Billy asked, turning back to Kali, who seemed unimpressed.
"What's your game plan here? Talk us to death?" Kali exclaimed.
"No one's killing anyone. I'll tell them we go way back, and then you can take us to wherever you've been for the last fifty days" Billy explained, as if it was obvious.
"No. I need to find my son. We can't go back" Michael insisted.
"You want to risk your life on a fool's errand? You be my guest" Billy retorted, watching as Michael grew angrier.
"Fool's errand?! This is my son's life we're talking about!" Michael growled.
"You keep talking back to me and we're gonna' have problems. And trust me, you really don't want that" Billy warned him, as Michael opened his mouth and then closed it a second later.
"Now, I need to be sure you are all going to cooperate, which means I need your weapons" Billy stated, turning back to Kali.
Kali seemed to think about his request for a moment before reaching down and pulling a knife from her boot. She placed the knife on Billy's palm, who peered at it for a moment, seeming impressed with how well she had hidden it. Kali gave him an innocent look when he raised an eyebrow at her.
"That's it" Kali shrugged.
He then took a few steps forward until their faces were only an inch away from each other, as his hands went behind her to touch the small of her back. Billy gave her a look as he felt the tell-tale shape of a gun and lifted the back of her shirt. Kali seemed annoyed that he had managed to find the weapon and looked away from his smug face. His fingertips brushed against her bare skin as he pulled the gun from the waistband of her trousers, as Sawyer watched her shiver from his touch. The two clearly had history. Sawyer grit his teeth as he saw Billy whisper something in Kali's ear, not liking how close he was getting to her. In one swift motion, Billy opened the chamber to see there were only two bullets left in the gun.
"I'm coming up!" He called out, as they heard shuffling from above them.
"Why you'd do it?" Kali blurted out, leaving the rest of her group even more confused at the interaction.
"I had a job to do. It wasn't personal" Billy replied, as Kali turned away from him, irritated by his response.
"…Have you seen him?" Billy asked, a few moments later, as the bamboo grate above them was pulled away.
"Seen who?" Kali frowned, as a makeshift rope was thrown down the pit.
"Your brother" Billy replied, as Kali barked out a laugh.
"God, you really think he'd come all this way, for what? You? He doesn't give a shit about you, Billy. He never has" Kali told him, venomously, as he gripped onto and gave it a tug.
"He's not the monster you think he is. You'll see" Billy informed her, as he was slowly pulled out of sight.
The moment the pit was covered back up with the bamboo and they heard footsteps retreating, Kali rushed over to Sawyer. She immediately began untying his hands, a worried expression on her face.
"We need to find a way out of here before he comes back" Kali warned them, as she pulled his hands free from the rope.
"He a friend of yours?" Sawyer guessed, as Kali went to start untying Jin's hands, who looked completely confused at what was going on.
"Used to be. Now I wouldn't piss on him if he were on fire" Kali exclaimed, pulling at the rope.
"What did he do to you?" Sawyer frowned, as Kali finished untying Jin.
"It's a long story" Kali murmured, as Sawyer slowly pushed himself to his feet.
"You gonna' untie me too?" Michael insisted, holding up his hands, as Kali gave him an angry look.
Michael quickly closed his mouth, having his answer and averted his eyes from her gaze. He knew even in Sawyer's injured state, if he found out what Michael had done, he'd kill him.
Sawyer's hand was on the small of Kali's back suddenly, as he ushered her over to the other end of their makeshift cell. What he was about to ask, he knew she wouldn't want the others to hear.
"That guy works for your brother?" Sawyer questioned.
"Used to be his righthand man. He's a goddamn sociopath" Kali grumbled.
"Then I guess we better find a way out sharpish" Sawyer stated, looking at the bamboo covering at the entrance of the pit.
"How's your shoulder?" Kali inquired, seeing the belt had come off his arm.
"It's fine" Sawyer replied, but Kali wasn't convinced.
She pulled his shirt away from the wound, grimacing at the large wound that was still slowly weeping blood. It was going to get infected if it wasn't already. Sawyer needed antibiotics and real first aid.
"We need to get back to the beach. Back to Jack" Kali told him, pulling her hand away.
"Just when I thought I was finally rid of the Doc…" Sawyer trailed off, with an amused smile.
"How do you feel? Dizzy, hot? Have they given you any water-" Kali began, but Sawyer cut her off quickly.
"Kal, I'm okay. Really" Sawyer insisted, but she could tell from the sweat on his brow and way he grimaced whenever he moved, it wasn't true.
"…We'll have to take them back to camp" Kali sighed, as Sawyer looked down at her with confusion.
"You just said that guy is a sociopath, we can't bring them back to our people" Sawyer retorted.
"We'll get their quicker with them. Safety in numbers and all" Kali suggested as Sawyer raised an eyebrow.
"You were just saying we've got to make our escape, and now suddenly you want us to join them?" Sawyer questioned.
"You're not going to be able to make a run for it" Kali stated, as Sawyer realised she had changed her mind because of him.
"…That doesn't mean that you can't" Sawyer pointed out, as Kali shook her head.
"I'm not leaving you. We stick together" Kali insisted, as she raised her hand to touch his own, intertwining their fingers.
"Come whatever" Sawyer nodded, as his lips twitched into a smile.
Suddenly the bamboo hatch above them was ripped away, revealing Billy and another woman that Kali hadn't seen before. She saw how Billy's eyes immediately drifted to her and Sawyer's intertwined hands and pulled away, a small blush rising over her cheeks. A smug smile spread over Sawyer's face, enjoying that he could get a reaction like that out of Kali.
"Grab the rope!" Billy exclaimed, as they walked to the other side of the makeshift cell, where Jin had rid Michael of his bindings.
"I want my knife back" Kali called up to him, as Billy seemed to mull this over for a moment.
"…Okay" Billy nodded, taking the knife out of his pocket and dropping it down, to where Kali expertly caught it.
"Really? You're giving them weapons now?" The woman complained, an annoyed expression on her face.
"Trust me, that girl down there…she doesn't need a weapon to hand your ass to you" Billy smirked.
"Grab the rope" The woman insisted, as Kali took a step forward.
"Don't do it" Sawyer warned her, grabbing her wrist.
"They might have a first aid kit, bandages…you need help" Kali pointed out, in a hushed tone.
Sawyer watched reluctantly as she grabbed onto the rope and was slowly pulled up. He was too concerned to even enjoy the view of her ass. She tried to reach up to grab a root near the top of the pit, but quickly lost her grip and almost fell backwards. Billy's hand shot out to help her, as she glared up at him.
"C'mon, I won't drop you" Billy told her, ushering for her to take his hand.
With an irritated sigh, she reached for his hand as he effortlessly pulled her to her feet. He wrapped his arm around her waist needlessly, pulling her away from the edge with a smug smile. Sawyer already didn't like this guy.
"You next" The woman ordered, looking to Jin, who quickly did as he was told.
"Don't do it" Sawyer advised Michael, as he was about to grab hold of the rope.
"She hasn't got a weapon. She's not gonna-" Sawyer was cut off as the woman threw a large rock at his head.
"Ah! Son of a bitch!" Sawyer cried, stumbling back.
Kali was instantly storming towards the older woman, her hands balled into fists, but Billy held her back. She was protective over the blond, and he seemed to be towards her, Billy thought to himself.
"Really not worth it" Billy suggested, in a hushed tone.
Billy then bent down to pull Michael up to join the rest of the group, looking down at Sawyer with an expectant expression. Knowing it was a fight he couldn't win, Sawyer reluctantly gripped onto the rope, with one hand, clutching the other against his chest. He groaned as pain shot through his arm, as he tried to grab the ground above him. Kali crouched down to wrap her arms around him and with a sharp tug was able to pull him out of the pit, as he fell on top of her. Sawyer's kept his hands on either side of her face, as he stayed hovering above her for a few seconds longer.
"Second time in two days that I've landed on top" Sawyer flirted, as Kali looked away with a giggle.
"Nice…that's a good one" She chuckled, her eyes dropping to his grinning lips.
There was an irritated cough from beside them, as Sawyer hesitantly rolled away from Kali. The pair pushed themselves to their feet, dusting off the dirt that covered their trousers. Kali found that there was a man and a woman staring at them, whom she vaguely remembered had been standing behind Billy on the beach. She wondered how many were left from the tail end of the plane.
"I've explained that you were all on the plane too. Time for introductions. This is Ana Lucia" Billy announced, pointing to the woman who had thrown the rock at Sawyer's head.
"That's Libby…and this big guy is Mr Eko" Billy went on, first pointing to the blonde woman, and then back to a muscular man who wasn't wearing a shirt.
"I'm sure we'll all be one big family by tonight" Sawyer sneered, as Kali had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.
"What you got there?" Ana Lucia frowned, watching as Sawyer tried to hide his hand behind his back.
"Nothing" Sawyer retorted, dismissively.
"You got a rock? You looking for some revenge? You've got three seconds to drop it" Ana warned him, taking a step forward.
"Ana" Billy exclaimed, sensing that things were about to take a turn for the worse.
"One. Two…" Ana trailed off, shoving past Billy.
"Now hold on-" Sawyer was cut off as Ana punched him in the face, as he slammed into the ground.
"Hey!" Kali cried as Eko held a wooden bat in front of her, stopping her from getting any closer.
"Didn't say three" Sawyer spat out, as Ana pressed down on his shoulder with her foot, making Sawyer groan in pain.
Both Jin and Michael took a step forward, not willing to stand by as one of their group was attacked, but they were held back too.
"Get off him!" Kali yelled, her hand going to the knife that she had placed in her pocket.
"Ana, do as she says" Billy insisted, but Ana didn't listen, pressing her foot harder against Sawyer's wound.
"No! He needs to learn some respect. You disobey me again and I throw your ass back in the pit. You understand? I said do you understand-" Ana cut herself off as she heard a clicking sound from behind her.
Ana whipped her head around to see Billy glaring at her, with a gun aimed at her head. The clicking sound had been him taking the safety off the gun. The surprise was clear on Ana's face.
"I said…get off of him" Billy stated, a menacing tone in his voice.
"You're not going to shot me-" Ana scoff was cut off by a loud gunshot, as it whizzed past her arm, nicking the skin there.
"The next one goes through your head. Back off" Billy insisted, as Ana quickly did what she was told, taking her foot away from Sawyer's shoulder.
"You see, I don't need a gun. There are about five different ways I could kill you right now with my bare hands and you wouldn't even see it coming until it's too late" Billy announced.
"You might be a cop, Ana, but I'm in charge here. You do what I tell you when I tell you, or I'll put you down. That is the only way we all keep surviving...Is that clear?" Billy questioned, marching forward so that he was looming over the smaller woman.
"Crystal" Ana muttered, averting her eyes from his intense gaze.
"Let them go…we're moving out" Billy exclaimed, as the rest of his group backed away from Kali and her friends.
"Hey Ana! Before I forget…" Kali announced, shoving past Eko.
Before Ana could react, Kali had surged forward, sending a forceful kick her way. Ana stumbled back a few steps before falling into the pit below, with a loud thump.
"You touch him again…I'll kill you" Kali called down, to where Ana was crumpled on the ground.
She turned around with a smirk to see Billy thrusting his hand in Sawyer's face, who seemed surprised by this action. Reluctantly, Sawyer grabbed his hand and allowed himself to be pulled upright.
"You want me to take a look at that shoulder?" Billy asked as Sawyer raised an eyebrow at the offer.
"What, you a doctor now?" Sawyer inquired.
"No, but I've seen my fair share of bullet wounds" Billy pointed out, the gun still in his other hand.
"Thanks G.I Joe, but I'll pass" Sawyer exclaimed, making Billy grin.
"Alright, I'll leave you in my girl's capable hands" Billy smirked, patting Sawyer roughly on the shoulder, obviously knowing that's where his wound was.
"My girl?" Michael frowned, as Billy ushered for the group to follow him.
"Boyfriend?" Jin gaped, his accent thick, as he pointed from Billy back to Kali.
"No! Well…not really" Kali muttered, as Sawyer placed his hands on his hips.
"Care to elaborate?" He insisted, needing to know more.
"I had a tiny, little crush on him when I was younger and…he knew it. Look, it never really went anywhere. It's not a big deal" Kali explained, but Sawyer still didn't look convinced.
"You still like him?" Sawyer asked, making Kali scoff.
"He's a dick" Kali replied, crossing her arms.
"Which seems to be exactly your type" Michael couldn't help but point out.
"Sawyer, I swear, I'm completely over him. I've moved on" Kali insisted, as Sawyer slowly nodded.
"Good. I mean…you know, just because he seems like an asshole…it's good that you're over him…that's all" Sawyer stuttered, annoyed at himself for doing so.
Kali squinted at Sawyer's odd behaviour but was quickly distracted as Ana Lucia dragged herself out of the pit, the strain clear on her face. She glared at Kali as she stormed past them, a small blush on her cheeks, obviously annoyed at being bested by the younger girl.
"You guys coming or what?" Billy called back to them, in the distance.
"You know that was basically her telling you she's single, right?" Michael told Sawyer in a hushed tone, as Kali rushed ahead to catch up with the rest of the group.
"Oh shut up" Sawyer muttered, with a roll of his eyes.
They were led to a metal bunker that was completely covered by the vegetation of the jungle. Kali expected it was the only reason that Billy's group hadn't been killed. There was an older man and a woman that Kali remembered had been a stewardess waiting for them. They seemed terrified. In fact, the whole group did. Once Libby explained that 23 of them had survived the crash and that the six of them were all that were left, she could understand why.
"We don't have much food. This is all I can give you" Bernard, the older man offered, handing her two cooked fish.
He had a kind face and seemed far too trusting. Bernard had asked them about Rose, who Kali vaguely remembered from their camp. It turned out he was her husband and was obviously desperate to get back to her as soon as possible.
"Your wife's back at our camp, right?" Kali questioned, as Bernard nodded quickly.
"The longer we stay here the more danger she'll be in. We left because our group was under attack. We could help each other; you can show me-" Kali was cut off by a loud voice from behind her.
"What are you scheming?" Billy questioned, as Kali turned to him.
"I was just having a friendly conversation" Kali replied, innocently.
"We need food and water before we can start walking to your camp. It's dangerous enough as it is without the complication of dehydration" Billy explained, as Kali's eyes landed on Sawyer, who's eyes were fluttering shut a few metres away.
"Fine. Then just let me and my group go. We can come back for you" Kali suggested, as Billy shook his head.
"Not gonna' happen…you that worried about him?" Billy asked, ushering over to the blond in the corner.
"His wound is getting worse" Kali exclaimed.
"I'll take that as a yes then. I've got some bandages in the back. Maybe even some painkillers, but you've got to stay here" Billy insisted.
"Right, because in your deluded mind, my brother's about to step through those doors and then you can finally make good on your deal" Kali scoffed, crossing her arms.
"You can walk through those doors anytime you want, K" Billy told her, making Kali frown at his sudden change of mind.
"Okay, I'll be on my way then" Kali replied, turning to walk away, but Billy quickly raised his hand out to grab her wrist.
"But the blond stays" Billy exclaimed, as Kali gritted her teeth.
Kali didn't seem to need to even think about Billy's offer, as she pulled her arm away from his grip, a defeated look on his face. Billy seemed shocked by her reaction, a small grin spreading across his face.
"You'd really give up your chance at freedom for that guy?" Billy inquired, as Kali refused to look at him.
"He's my friend" Kali mumbled.
"…You love him?" Billy queried, as Kali's forehead wrinkled, not sure how to respond.
"Guess I'll go get those bandages then" Billy sighed, her silence was enough of an answer for him.
"Sawyer? Hey, it's me. Wake up" Kali exclaimed, touching his warm cheek lightly.
"Hey" Sawyer smiled up at her, as she kneeled in front of him.
"I got you some food" Kali informed him, holding up the cooked fish that laid on top of a bundle of leaves.
"Making me breakfast in bed, huh?" Sawyer smirked, as Kali placed the fish in his lap.
"Yeah…apart from it being night, and we're in a dark bunker" Kali scoffed, in an amused tone.
"Wish we were in our bed" Sawyer mumbled, in a delirious tone.
"You better eat up. Jin looks hungry" Kali insisted, deciding to brush over the 'our'.
"What about you?" Sawyer questioned, as he scooped up some of the fish with his fingers.
"I've already eaten" Kali shrugged, as Michael muttered something from behind her.
She had given the other fish to Jin, for him to share with Michael as much as he pleased. They both had seen that Kali hadn't eaten any of the other fish, deciding to give it all to Sawyer instead.
"Here's your bandages. Couldn't find any painkillers" Billy announced, dropping the bandages onto her lap.
"Thanks" Kali nodded up at him.
"Hey man, let your nurse patch you up. You'll be good as new in no time" Billy told Sawyer, who chuckled lightly.
Billy patted Kali on the back as he walked away, his hand lingering for a moment longer than Sawyer would have liked. He had woken up a lot more the moment he heard the other man's voice.
"I think it's time you tell me the whole story about you and pretty boy" Sawyer insisted, as Kali bit her lip.
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! What do you guys think of Billy? It's always a risk adding another OC, but I think he'll help push certain storyline's further. We'll be learning more about his history with Kali next chapter, and delve into her past a bit more. Sorry if updates are a bit sporadic once again, but I'm a nurse and from tomorrow working with Covid-19 patients, so it's going to be a very busy few months for me. Stay safe everyone! Please leave a review:)
scripturient3201: Michael will get what's coming to him soon. I'm glad you're enjoying their interactions:)
MyCookiemonster95: Lots of Desmond to come in this story, you'll be happy to hear, haha.
rhiaraves: Aw, thank you! Kali's biding her time, but she'll get her revenge on Michael, don't worry.
kz4valentina: Thanks for the review:) Don't worry, there won't be too much Ana Lucia in this story. Lots more fun scenes coming up soon with Kali/Sawyer! Once Sawyer finds out what Michael did...God help him, haha.
Rhi: Thank you:) Sawyer definitely deserves some more fanfiction.
DrLexieSloan: Aw, glad you liked it, haha. Things will be getting steamier, don't worry, they won't be able to deny their feelings forever. There will definitely be more clashes coming up with Ana and Kali, especially once they get back to camp. Thanks for reviewing:)
clemhood1437: Aw, thank you so much:) I hope you enjoyed this update!
Apoka: Thank you for your reviews! I'm so glad you're liking this story, and wow in 3 days? I'm impressed, haha. I was also pretty disappointed when I tried to find some Lost fics on wattpad, it's definitely lacking there. I hope you liked this chapter:)