The Boys From Tennessee II

The Boys From Tennessee II
Rating: R, angst, character death (spoilers Season 2)
Author: Chissy_Rose
Author’s Notes/Disclaimer: They’re not mine, I don’t own them. No infringement intended.

Chapter 10
Nightmares Can Come True

The next morning Peter woke up to an empty bed. Sawyer had already gotten up, dressed and left the tent. Peter felt conflicted about waking up alone but decided maybe it was a sign that Sawyer didn’t think he had to keep tabs on him today. Peter got up and moved slowly. He was still sore from the sex the night before. It was what he’d wanted though, to be made sore so he wouldn’t be so eager to have sex with other people. He hoped he would find something else to occupy his mind over the next few days so he wouldn’t be sitting around moping about Jack. He fixed something to eat and got dressed, blinking in the bright sunshine when he went outside. It was later than he’d realized.

He looked around for Sawyer and didn’t see him anywhere. He went back to his own shelter and straightened it up some. Sadly he gathered up Jack’s clothes and things he’d left in his shelter, putting them into a pile. He picked up an old t-shirt of Jacks and lifted it to his face. Its smell reminded him of Jack and he decided to keep this shirt. Jack would never miss it and he wanted something to remember Jack by. His eyes watered and he wiped the tears from his face. No sense crying about it now he thought, your behavior is what caused this. There’s no going back. He decided to take Jack’s things back now and get it over with. When he got to Jack’s shelter he was thankful that Jack wasn’t there as he left his clothes and things on his bed. He sighed sadly as he left Jack’s tent. He saw Sun and helped her in her garden for a while and caught fish in nets with Jen along the shoreline. It was later in the afternoon when he ran into Libby. He felt very sheepish and apologized repeatedly to her. She accepted the apology and talked to him briefly about how he was doing. He said he’d like to talk to her in a few days, that he was still too emotional after breaking up with Jack. She smiled and told him that would be okay. He nodded and thanked her. Libby saw Hurley at a distance and excused herself to go and talk with him. When he got back to Sawyer’s tent he found he was back and they ate dinner together. Sawyer told him that Jack had come by earlier in the day and had asked Kate to accompany him into the jungle to try and get the “Others” to exchange the prisoner “Henry Gale” that they had in the hatch for Walt. Sawyer had been miffed that Jack had asked Kate to go with him rather than him. Peter was glad to hear that Jack had asked her to go. It meant he’d gotten over the last episode where they’d lost most of the guns because she’d been caught. They were unaware of the fact that same day Ana Lucia had a bad confrontation with “Henry Gale” who attempted to kill her in his cell. She made up her mind then that she had to have a gun no matter what. She wanted to kill him.

That night Jack and Kate arrived at the spot where they’d given up the guns. They were both totally surprised when Michael, Walt’s dad, stumbled out of the jungle and collapsed. They brought Michael back to the hatch where he regained consciousness the next day. He told them he knew where his son was and that the Others had lied about their strength. He started talking about getting his son back and that he’d lead them back there.

In the meantime, Ana Lucia attempted to barter with Sawyer to get a gun but he was hard-assed about it and wouldn’t give her one. Then everything that Peter had dreamed in his nightmare weeks earlier began to come true. Ana Lucia threw Sawyer to the ground in the jungle, kissed him aggressively and they’d had sex fast and furiously. He’d been so surprised and distracted he didn’t even notice he didn’t have his own gun when she left. The tragic string of events had begun.

Jack, Kate, and Locke came to Sawyer later in the day to demand the guns, Jack drew a gun on Sawyer demanding that he produce them and when Sawyer went to draw out his own gun he realized that Ana had gotten his. Then they went back to the hatch and discovered to their horror that Ana Lucia was dead. She’d been shot through the center of the chest sitting on the couch. Libby had been shot twice and was unconscious. Henry Gale was gone, and Michael had been shot in the shoulder. Jack doctored Michael’s shoulder and tried to help Libby but there wasn’t much he could do except try to make her comfortable while she was dying. He sent Sawyer and Kate to go and bring back some of the drug runners’ heroin to make her comfortable and Kate saw that Sawyer had stashed the guns and everything under his bed. Hurley asked if they’d seen Libby and Kate told him she was shot in the hatch. Peter heard part of what they were saying and came out and asked what had happened also. Kate repeated what had happened and Peter almost went into shock. He’d seen it happen in his dream, he’d just not seen who the two bodies were they would bury. He looked at Sawyer, but Sawyer wouldn’t give him eye contact. They left with Hurley to go to the hatch. Peter walked down to the water’s edge shaking badly. Then he’d thrown up everything he had in him till he couldn’t throw up any more. He went back to his shelter and sat down and cried. He knew there was nothing to be done at this point. He knew Libby was going to die too because of his dream. He’d told Sawyer and Jack both about his dream like he’d told others in the past and the outcome was always the same. It never stopped it from happening.

Sawyer came back later and Peter knew from his face that Libby had died. Peter didn’t say anything to Sawyer about how Ana had gotten the gun. He knew Sawyer was already feeling guilty about everything that had happened. Sawyer said that Libby had come too briefly and had said Michael’s name but had died right afterwards. Sawyer told him that they were discussing going after the Others and getting Walt back and putting a stop to their terrorizing people on the island. They were also making preparations to bury Libby and Ana. He looked totally rung out. He said that Kate had cried all over him and that Hurley was so torn up he looked pitiful. Peter wiped tears off his own face. Sawyer reached over and stroked his face. “How are you holding up Pete?”

“I’m really upset Sawyer. I wish to God I’d seen who was gonna die in that damn dream. It’s really shaken me up that Libby’s died. She’s been talking to me for weeks. All this shit in my life’s just been churned up again. Jack and I broke up and now I don’t have her any more to help me with it. I’m depressed, anxious and scared. I threw up everything I’ve had to eat today.”

“Well, you still got me and other people here too.”

“I know, but still it’s different. I feel like my feet have been ripped out from under me.”

Sawyer sighed heavily. “The funeral’s going to be later this afternoon. Are you gonna come?”

“I’ll come but I’m gonna hang back. It’s gonna upset me and I don’t wanna upset Hurley any worse than he’s gonna be. Can’t change what’s happened already. It’s done.”

Sawyer nodded. “We’re talking about going after Walt’s kid tomorrow morning. Just a handful of us. Michael’s going to show us the way there.”

Peter sat still thinking. “I think that’s a bad idea. I know Michael would do anything to get his boy back, but these people can be like animals Sawyer. They hung Charlie from a tree to die. You know what some of them or their deserters did to me in the jungle. They don’t hesitate to kill people, and who knows what they’ve done with the people from the plane that they’ve captured. They could be experimenting on them. They’ve got to still be in contact with the outside world – they’ve been making food and supply drops with everything marked with the Dharma symbol. They go to a lot of trouble to keep supporting that hatch in the middle of nowhere. Claire’s the only one out of all the people captured that’s ever got away clean and I think she had help. Please don’t go do this.”

“I already agreed to go. Besides, you’re forgetting you got away from them.”

“They left me tied to a tree naked, hanging by my wrists. I was bleeding, beaten, torn-up, dehydrated and gang-raped. They left me there to die slowly. I couldn’t free myself – I tried. I’d have been dead by the time y’all found me if it hadn’t been for Rousseau. You gotta realize what they’re capable of.”

“I do realize it and that’s why I’m going. These people need to be punished for all the shit they’ve been doing to us. They murdered Ana and Libby in cold blood, and shot Michael. And in case you don’t remember I got a score to settle with them. They shot me and left me to die in the ocean. I mean to even the score.”

Peter shook his head sadly. “I guess Jack’s going too?”

“Yep, and Kate also. Michael wants Hurley to go too.”

“Hurley and Kate? That don’t make sense. He needs to take Sayid probably. Not Hurley. Shit, I’d be a better choice than Hurley. I’m a good shot. I grew up hunting in Tennessee. That’s crazy. And Kate? She cost us 5 or 6 guns the last time she went.”

“Well that’s who he’s insisting on going and he doesn’t want anyone else tagging along.”

“Jeez, I’m going to talk to Sayid. He needs to go too. I’m gonna see what he thinks about all of this.”

“You can do that if you want too, but I gave my word I’d go and I’m going.”

Peter got up. “I’m going to look for Sayid and see if I can find him Sawyer. I’ll be back later.”

Sawyer just nodded at him and let him go. He was supposed to go to meet Jack back at the hatch with the guns and ammo so they could load them and be ready to leave the next morning.

Peter didn’t have to look very far to find Sayid and ask him if they could take a walk so he could talk with him confidentially. Sayid agreed so they set out towards the water line. Sayid could tell Peter was upset and worried.

“Sayid, something’s going on and I think you need to get involved if at all possible. I’m really worried about what Michael wants to do.”

“Is he talking about going and finding Walt again? I’d heard he wanted to lead us to him.”

“He’s talking crazy though Sayid. He only wants Jack, Sawyer, Kate and Hurley to go with him and that’s all. This smells like a set-up to me. He’s not being logical about who should go or how many of us should go. He only wants those four going with him. And why Hurley and why Kate? It doesn’t make any sense.”

“You’re right; it does seem illogical to take Hurley on a trek across the island where he wouldn’t be much good at fighting.”

“The Dharma people or Others really scare me Sayid. I don’t think Jack’s thought this all out. Nobody on this damn island really talks about what they know with each other, but I’ve talked some with several people and I got some concerns.” Sayid nodded.

“You just gotta look at what they’ve done and what we’ve seen. Right off the bat, they’ve kidnapped a good number of people from the tail section, and killed some of them too. Ana talked to me some about them. Goodwin had said they were “keeping the good ones and didn’t have any use for the ones that weren’t good.” They’ve been looking for specific people or types of people. If you weren’t what they wanted, they’d kill you if you were inconvenient or got in the way. Eko had to fight off and kill two of them to keep from being kidnapped. Ana had to kill Goodwin cause she was in a fight for her life. In the meantime, they kidnap pregnant Claire and hang Charlie in a tree to die. That Ethan guy beat Jack up pretty good, and Charlie told me Ethan was super strong – picked him up by his neck and held him against the tree before hanging him. I found out from Claire and Kate both, that they took Claire to another hatch where they had rooms set up like a hospital or research area. They had a baby nursery set up for Claire’s baby and Ethan was giving her injections right through her belly into the baby. They wanted to keep Claire’s baby Sayid. Claire couldn’t remember a lot of it, but Libby did hypnosis with her and she remembered enough about it to go back there with Kate and Rousseau and find it.”

“They went back there by themselves? Without telling anyone?”

“Yeah, but Sawyer knew cause he let Kate have a gun. And that’s how I found out about it.” Sayid grimaced. Peter was right about people keeping secrets and not telling what they knew.

“When they got there, Kate said they’d cleaned the place out basically, but you could still see remnants of the hospital or research equipment, medicine storage cabinets, tables, and the nursery. Kate found something else too. The guy with the beard that they had the confrontation with in the jungle – she found his beard and rubber cement in a locker. These people are putting on a false front for us for some reason. Why else would they be using disguises?”

“You’re right about them being devious and trying to mislead us. There’s definitely something they are up to.”

“I’m just saying they aren’t what they seem. This doesn’t smell right. And they’re still making food and supply drops with the Dharma symbol on every blasted thing, for the people manning the hatch. What’s that all about? Why do they take off all the advertising and put their symbol on everything? Our hatch has got power and a computer, and the hatch that Kate, Claire and Rousseau went to had electricity too. This isn’t just a bunch of crazy marooned people we’re dealing with Sayid; it’s a lot bigger and a lot more sinister.”

“When you start looking at everything together you’re right. Things aren’t what they appear to be on the surface.”

“Sayid, I’m real concerned about Michael too. I think he might have killed Ana and Libby and shot himself.”

“That’s quite an accusation Peter. What are you basing that on?”

“I think Michael is so desperate that he’s dangerous. I think the Others sent him back to let that man go in the hatch and that they want Jack, Sawyer, Hurley and Kate for some specific reason. Just like they’ve only taken certain other people at certain times. Ana got the gun from Sawyer and he didn’t realize for hours that she’d gotten it. I found out that Henry Gale guy had just attacked her and tried to strangle her and Locke stopped him. I think she wanted to kill him but I think she couldn’t just shoot him in cold blood. She was sitting on the couch Sayid, shot once through the center of the chest. Ana was a fighter, a scrapper, a police officer. She’d have been fighting or wrestling him or something if he was trying to get the gun. Whoever shot her surprised her, like she gave them the gun. She wasn’t trying to protect herself. She didn’t see it coming. And Libby surprised whoever it was too. If this man was a calculated killer, he’d have shot Libby more critically. Whoever shot her wasn’t really a good shot, it was like it was an accident. And I think the most damning thing is that when Libby woke up and was dying, Sawyer told me she said only one thing - “Michael!” Jack’s so dense sometimes, he thought she was excited that Michael was back, but she died right after saying his name. Libby was really smart Sayid. She knew she was dying. She did the same thing I’d have done. She said the name of her killer with her last breath.”

Sayid stopped and shook his head. “When you put it all together like you have, it paints a very bad picture. I think you’re right. Michael sounds like he’s been horribly compromised. He may have killed them and let Henry Gale go so Jack would go after him. Have you told this to Jack or Sawyer?”

“I talked a little bit with Sawyer, but he’s got revenge on his mind. He wants to even up the score and punish them. There’s nothin’ more I could say to him to make him stay. He’s made up his mind. And there’s no sense in me even tryin’ with Jack. He won’t even talk to me which is why I came to you Sayid. You’ve been in the Iraqi army and you’re much more experienced. You’re a trained soldier and you’re smarter about things like this. I’m worried they’re going into a trap and are gonna end up dead or captured and there’s not a damned thing I can do about it. Jack will go and take the other three with him. Please don’t let Jack know I’ve told you all this, but see if you can’t talk with them and try and get Michael to agree to you coming. I’ll bet everything I own that he’ll insist that you not come when you’re the best trained person for this. There’s got to be someway to get an advantage in this situation so we can help them somehow. Please let me know what Jack says back to you. You’ve got to convince him that Michael’s so desperate he’d sell his own soul to get Walt back.” Sayid agreed with him and said he’d try to work undercover and see if Michael would agree to him going. He knew that if Michael fought him about his, then there was something else going on. Peter hugged him and said thanks. They walked back to the campsite separately. Peter felt anxious and dreaded what was going to happen.