CHAPTER 5: BEHIND ENEMY LINES
The Oceanic survivours were understandably uneasy with this new arrangement - to go to the Other's encampment, or barracks as it was known. Sayid was leading them and was perhaps the most troubled by the turn of events; he'd been to the Other's homes before and all he'd got on arrival was a night handcuffed to a swingset and, a day later, a gas attack. And that was after climbing over a supersonic fence which surrounded their new destination.
If that was not bad enough, all their lives were now firmly held in the grasp of their enemy. Once they arrived they'd have make a decision once and for all. Unite or die, at least temporarily. Live together, die alone, thought Sayid grimly. Somehow he doubted the Others would want to form an alliance; their dead comrades, as well as their battered hostage leader and the rogue Juliet would do little to help matters. He'd reluctantly allowed Ben to walk freely, without his hands tied, for this trip but he was still being closely watched.
"Do you think they'll be alright?" A voice pulled Sayid from his thoughts. Sun. She was watching him anxiously.
"They be okay, they are all accomplished marksmen. Jin would not have stayed behind if he thought he'd be in extreme danger." Sayid said, choosing his words with care, not wanting to give the pregnant women a cause for fear or false hope - she had already been made nervous by Ben's comment about pregnant women dying. He didn't mentioned he was still unsure about whether to trust Locke or not.
He noticed much of the group was watching him and realised with a jolt they were looking to him as a leader. With Jack dead, Locke and Sawyer both behind defending them on what seemed to him a suicide mission, and Kate still in desperate need of surgery he was their last leadership figure. Now he realised why Jack didn't want the responsiblity.
"Pressure getting to you?" Said Juliet.
"I'm more concerned with what will happen when we reach your old camp. I don't think we'll get a very warm welcome." Said Sayid sardonically.
"If it makes you feel better they'll not be very pleased to see me either." She said with a sad smile.
"Oh no, I think they'll welcome you with open arms." Smirked Ben, approaching from behind.
"I thought I told you to stay quiet until we arrived." Said Sayid.
"You did. But I didn't agree to it." Ben smiled.
"We'll have plently to argue about when we arrive, how about you both stay quiet for now and help me with Kate?" Asked Juliet, when she saw Sayid getting ready to argue with Ben.
The two men looked down at Kate, who was being unsteadily carried between Hurley and Steve. Hurley looked as though he would pass out because of the blood - Juliet was strongly reminded of Tom. Claire was nearby carrying Aaron and talking to Sun, both kept throwing worried glances at Kate - the gunshot wound was getting worse.
The deja vu hit Sayid strongly - Kate's wound now bore a distinct resembelence to that of the air marshall who had had a peice of fuselage stuck in his side. The wound had become strongly infected and the man had eventually been killed as an act of kindness. Sayid hoped they would not have to do the same here. Juliet was mentally cursing herself for not performing the operation sooner; Kate was already delerious and her chances of survival were lessening with each hour she went untreated.
Together Ben and Sayid took Kate from Steve and Hurley (both looked releived by this) and began to carry her in the direction Alex and Karl were leading everyone.
"We should reach the fence in about 5 minutes." Called Alex.
Sayid felt a strong sense of foreboding, for themselves and their friends left behind. Was this whole idea suicide?
"It's too late to go back now." Said Juliet, moving forward to help him and Ben carry Kate. "At least we can treat her when we get there."
"If your people let us." Said Sayid.
"We may not be your best friends Sayid, but I can assure you, me and my people will not stand by and watch while someone is dying." Said Ben from a few feet away, carrying Kate's feet. "Which is more than I could once have said for some people." He added bitterly. Juliet glared at him.
" We're here." Called Karl a few minutes later.
Pushing through the trees as he and Ben carried Kate between them, Sayid came upon the familiar site of the sonic fence. A few of the people around him gasped at this site. Wait until you see their houses, thought Sayid.
Juliet ran forward and pulles Sun backwards - she had nearly walked through two of the beams.
"We need to turn off the fence first." She said in explanation.
This statement was greeted by much confusion but Juliet didn't bother to explain it. She and Alex walked forward to a small pad with a set of numbers and entered a code, causing the green light to turn red. They hurried everyone though the gap before turning the fence back on.
"Come on, we have to face them sooner or later." Said Juliet.
It turned out to be sooner. The large group were not more than halfay to the clearing full of the Other's houses when whispers began, the noise kept going until a man appeared. Richard looked at the group with an expression of confusion, anger and contempt. Then he looked straight at Ben, veiwing his battered and bloody face with shock. "Ben, what's going on?"
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