Reconnaissance

Chapter 1

Kelvin Inman walked down a narrow path in the jungle. He had been sent by the group that called themselves the "good guys" to bring another of the survivors of flight 815 to their encampment. He stopped in a secluded area and set his pack on a fallen log. It was time to get ready. Kelvin glanced around him, listening to be sure no one was approaching. Satisfied he would be undisturbed he removed his tunic and pants and tucked them in the pack. He put on a pair of worn jeans and a polo shirt and traded his hiking boots for athletic shoes. Next he took out a small mirror and a cordless razor and shaved his beard. He completed his disguise with a pair of horn rimmed glasses and a smaller nylon pack. Whistling softly Kelvin carefully hid the large pack and resumed his trek to the beach. His cover identity was Joe O'Neill, a businessman from Chicago. Unlike Ben's Henry Gale identity there was almost no way his could be found out to be false. He remembered the argument he and Ben had a few weeks previously when the other man had brought up the idea of assuming Henry Gale's identity. He had thought it was way too risky. Especially as sloppy as some of Ben's people were. They should have at least burned the body of the real Henry so it couldn't be identified if it happened to be unearthed, and gotten rid of his wallet and I.D. The C.I.A never would have let details like that slip. These people weren't the C.I.A, however.(A fact Ben was only too happy to point out to him.) No matter. He had no intention of ending up a prisoner like Ben had been.

A few clicks east Desmond made his way through the jungle. Still suffering the after effects of the EM pulse he had to stop and rest periodically. His mind reeled thinking of what Kelvin had told him. Who were the people he was working for? And what was this mission he couldn't talk about? So intently was he pondering these questions that he didn't notice the trip wire at his feet until the net was upon him. "Bloody hell..." Desmond was yanked off his feet and pulled up in the air. "Help! Somebody help me!" He yelled. He struggled with his arms and legs but only succeeded in tangling himself more in the strong netting. "Help! Can anybody hear me?" He was about to give up calling out when someone walked into the clearing. It was a woman dressed in tan cargo pants and a worn sleeveless top and sweater. She had long brown hair and looked to be in her mid forties. Desmond's eyes widened at the crossbow she was carrying. "Help me please." he called out to her. "Are you one of them?" she asked him. " Them? I don't know what you're bloody talking about. Just get me down from here." The woman looked at him. "Are you one of the others?" Desmond shook his head. "No I'm not." He wondered if the others were the people Kelvin was working for now. "Three years ago my boat crashed on this island. I was found and brought to an underground bunker not far from here. Up until three weeks ago that's where I was." The woman seemed to believe him. At least Desmond hoped she did. "What's your beef with these "others"? " He asked. A look of great sadness came over the woman's face. "They stole my child when she was only a week old. For sixteen years I've been trying too find her." Desmond looked shocked. "That's terrible. I am so sorry." Saying nothing the woman removed a large knife from her belt and cut the net free from the ropes holding it. Desmond landed on the ground in a heap. "Thank you." he said as he pulled himself free of the net. "I''m Desmond, by the way. What's your name?" The woman looked at him. "Danielle Rousseau." Desmond smiled. "Pleased to meet you, Danielle." A wave of dizziness came over him and he held onto a tree for support. "Desmond, are you alright?" That was the last thing he heard before everything went dark.

Chapter 2

Kelvin went over the details of his cover as he continued on his way to the beach. Joe O'Neill was a sporting goods store owner from suburban Chicago. He had been in Australia on vacation. The friends he had come with had stayed several extra days to go deep sea fishing and snorkeling. He had gotten a last minute seat on flight 815 because he needed to return to the States for business reasons. His seat had been in the front section of the plane and he was the only survivor. On the island he had been living in an abandoned bunker he happened upon while hunting for food. (That bunker had been prepared in the event someone asked to be taken there. ) Kelvin wished he had been able to get his hands on a falsified passport and I.D, but wasn't too concerned about not having them. Who carried their passport around on a deserted island? The important thing was there was no incriminating evidence that could be found. He knew that Ethan and Goodwin had failed at similar infiltrations. They hadn't had intelligence training, for one thing. They also didn't know how to read people and to be really inconspicuous. (Ethan anyway. He had never met Goodwin) Doing both of those things had been Kelvin's life for over ten years. He was sure he would be successful.

As he neared the beach Kelvin put himself in the mindset of someone who had survived a plane crash and been alone for 60 days. Mussing his somewhat curly hair he stepped out on the sand. He could see makeshift shelters a ways down but very few people. (That was another reason he had chosen this time to infiltrate. The group of survivors was split up.) A young blond woman sat in front of one of the tents holding a baby. She was talking to a middle aged black woman and a young man with slightly shaggy blond hair. “Thank God I'm not the only survivor.” Kelvin said as he approached them. “I was in business class. No one else in that section made it. You're the first people I've seen since the crash.” He put what he hoped was the correct amount of emotion in his voice. “You were on flight 815?” The young mother asked. “Yes. I was on my way back to the States from a vacation in Australia and New Zealand.” The young man didn't look convinced. “You've been surviving all by yourself for 60 plus days?” Kelvin nodded. “I spent the first week after the crash near where I first found myself. After that I started exploring, trying to see if there were any other survivors. I found an abandoned storage bunker of some kind and that's where I've been staying. There were plenty of fruit trees around and I was able to kill the occasional rabbit. Food started getting scarce a few days ago and I decided to try and find another place. By some luck I found my way here.”

“You're pretty knowledgeable about the outdoors, then?” The young man asked, his accent reminding Kelvin a bit of Desmond's. “You might say that. I consider myself somewhat of an outdoorsman. Back home I go hunting and fishing regularly. Most of my survival knowledge comes from my time in the service.”

“You're a military man?” The middle aged woman asked. “Former military. I was in the army a few years ago. When I got out I joined my old man in the sporting goods business. I own three stores in the Chicago area now.” He held out his hand. “I'm Joe O'Neill. Pleased to meet you.” He shook hands with the black woman and the young Englishman. “Nice to meet you Joe. I'm Rose.”

“I'm Charlie” the young man said. “That's Claire and her son is Aaron.” Charlie still looked like he didn't trust Kelvin. That was understandable after what Ethan had tried to do to him. (kelvin had heard about that after the fact.) “How do we know you were really on the plane?” Charlie asked. “We had a guy come into camp claiming to be one of us a while ago. He ended up kidnapping Claire and trying to kill me.” Kelvin looked surprised. “That's terrible. I wish I had a way to prove my story but I don't. You'll just have to believe me on this.” He paused. “Even if you could find the passenger manifest I probably wouldn't be on it since I got switched to that flight at the last minute.” He put on his most sincere smile. “I can assure you I'm just a regular guy in the same situation you all are.” Kelvin turned when he saw two men approaching their small group. Both of them looked to be middle aged. The slightly shorter one with salt and pepper hair was carrying several bottles of water. His tall, bald companion had a pack on his back and walked with a bit of a limp. “That's my husband Bernard and John Locke.” Rose told him. Kelvin nodded. Just the man he wanted to meet. It wasn't time to act yet, however.

Chapter 3

Desmond opened his eyes. He was lying on a makeshift bed in what appeared to be a bunker of some kind. He raised his head and looked around him. “Where am I?” he asked softly. A water bottle was put to his lips. “Here. Drink.” Danielle Rousseau told him. Desmond sipped the water gratefully.

Danielle crossed to a table on the other side of the room. Desmond sat up and immediately realized that his hands were tied."Is this really necessary?" he asked indicating his bonds. "Just a precaution." Danielle said. She came back over to him holding what Desmond recognized to be a spray injector. "I don't know what you're doing with that, sistah but you're wasting your time. I injected myself with one of those every nine days for three years." he paused. "Frankly I don't think there is any bloody sickness." Danielle checked the ampoule in the injector. "This isn't for the sickness." She pressed it to his arm. There was a hiss and everything shortly went dark again.

When he opened his eyes some time later his hands were no longer bound. "Merci beaucoup." he said to Danielle. Gingerly he sat up and rubbed his wrists where they were slightly raw from being tied. "De rien. Tu parle Francais?" Danielle replied. "Un peu. Although I'm kind of rusty." Desmond answered switching back to English. "How long have you been on the island?" he asked her. Kelvin had never mentioned running into a French woman on one of his outings, and he was almost positive she wasn't a plane crash survivor. "About 16 years." she replied. "Sixteen years? My God..." Danielle nodded sadly. "I was part of an oceanic research team. Our vessel was drawn here by a signal we picked up. A string of numbers repeated over and over." Desmond's eyes widened at this last. "Our ship ran aground and I've been here ever since. " Questions filled Desmond's mind. "What happened to the rest of your team?" Danielle hesitated. "They died or were killed." Desmond thought she was hiding something but didn't feel like pressing her on it. "To be alone for that many years...it had to have been horrible." Desmond slowly got up and walked over to Danielle. "I was totally alone for a few weeks and I know how hard that was." Danielle stood at the makeshift table with a look of sadness on her face. Desmond placed his hand over hers and squeezed it gently. Tears began to run down her cheeks. Desmond hesitated for a moment then took Danielle in his arms. He held her as she cried and gently stroked her hair. "I can't tell you the last time I was held." she said softly once her tears had subsided. "Merci beaucoup Desmond." He smiled. "It's my pleasure." He couldn't remember the last time he had been held either. Thoughts of Penny flooded his mind and he had to fight to hold back his own tears. "You've lost someone too?" Danielle asked. Her fingers softly brushed a tear from his cheek. "Not exactly. There is someone I love very much that I fear I'll never see again. My dear Penny." He paused, smiling ruefully. "Her father's probably glad I'm lost on a bloody island. He never thought I was good enough for her." They looked at each other. A moment later she was kissing him. Danielle's kiss was firm and warm and sweet. Desmond was surprised but not displeased. When she broke the kiss Danielle had a look of shame on her face. "Please forgive me. I didn't mean to...I don't know what came over me. It's just been so long." The words tumbled out of her. "There's nothing to apologize for sistah." Desmond said taking her hands. He thought of Kelvin and the people he was now allied with. "You want to find your child?" Danielle nodded. "More than anything."

"I might be able to help you."

Chapter 4

Bernard handed bottles of water to Rose and Claire. "Who is..." he said softly indicating Kelvin. "This is Joe O'Neill. He says he was in the front section of the plane." Kelvin nodded. "Business class."
"I thought there weren't any survivors from the front." Bernard said. "I think I'm the only one." Kelvin said. "I didn't see any others where I was."
"Business class, huh?" Locke said looking Kelvin up and down. "That's right." He held out his hand. "Joe O'Neill." Locke shook hands warily. "John Locke." 

Locke's voice was somewhat hoarse and raspy, and there were healing cuts on his head and neck. “John is very lucky to have survived the implosion of the hatch.” Charlie said, noticing Kelvin looking at Locke's injuries. “I heard a blast out there in the jungle, then the sky went all funny for a while. I was wondering what happened.” Kelvin said. The hatch must have imploded when Desmond activated the failsafe. “You found another bunker?” he asked keeping a look of innocence on his face. “We found a hatch in the jungle not far from here.” Locke answered. “What did you mean 'another hatch'?”

“I found an abandoned “hatch” as you call it, not far from where I first found myself. It looked like it was a storage locker or something.” Locke looked at the tall, dark haired man wondering how much he should tell him. “Our hatch wasn't abandoned. When we finally figured out how to get inside we found someone living in there.” Desmond, Kelvin knew. “I don't remember seeing you on the plane.” Bernard said. “I boarded kind of at the last minute so I probably wasn't there when you walked through business class.” Kelvin looked at Locke. “ I remember seeing you as I was leaving the ticket counter in the airport. You were being wheeled by in a wheelchair.” Locke looked shocked by this last statement. Just the reaction he wanted. Kelvin was thankful the files they had on the survivors were so complete. “You were in a wheelchair?” Charlie asked Locke. “I was.” He didn't look thrilled that fact had been made public. “Why don't you need it now?”

“I can't say for sure. When I woke up after the crash there was feeling in my legs again and I could walk. Something about this place healed me.” Rose nodded. “Some things just can't be explained, Charlie.” Kelvin was willing to bet she had experienced a similar healing of her cancer since arriving on the island. “That's amazing.” he said to Locke. “What a gift you received.” He wondered how he was going to get Locke alone to talk to him. Hopefully once he did he'd be able to convince the older man to come with him. Kelvin really didn't want to have to drug him or use force.

Chapter 5

“What do you mean you might be able to help me find Alex? Do you know where she is?” The hope in Danielle's voice nearly broke Desmond's heart. “No. Unfortunately I don't. I know someone who might though.” Desmond thought for a moment. “Does the name Ben mean anything to you?” Danielle shook her head. “I think he's the leader of the ones you call the 'others'.” Desmond was hoping if he could find Kelvin that his former hatchmate could take them to Alex or at least knew where she was. Danielle crossed the small room and rummaged in a bag. She rejoined Desmond a few moments later holding what looked to be a straight razor. “This will probably sound silly and I don't blame you if you say no.” She said. “My husband Robert always used to love it when I shaved him.” She paused. “He died shortly after our ship went aground.” she said in response to the questioning look on Desmond's face. She looked at his beard. “I was wondering if you'd let me shave you.” Desmond was a little surprised by the request but not disturbed. Penny had loved washing his hair and giving him backrubs. She had never shaved him though. (He wouldn't have minded if she wanted to.) It didn't sound bad and his beard was getting kind of itchy. “That would be fine.” he answered. Danielle smiled. She pulled up a crate of the right height and asked Desmond to sit. He did. “I'll be right back.” Danielle left the bunker. When she came back she was holding two battered bowls. One contained water. She set it down and began mixing the contents of the other. When she was satisfied with the mixture she set that bowl down and picked up a pair of old scissors. She began to carefully trim the longer hairs of his beard. When she was satisfied that the hair was a manageable length she reached into one of the bowls and scooped out a little of the contents.

Desmond sat still as Danielle lathered his face with the soap. She then dipped the razor in the bowl of water and began to shave him. Desmond shivered feeling the cool metal scrape against his skin. Danielle moved the razor in smooth slow strokes, careful not to cut Desmond. He closed his eyes enjoying the sensation of her fingers stroking his cheeks checking for rough spots. Finding none Danielle dipped a cloth in the water and proceeded to wash the remaining soap off Desmond's face. "Merci, Desmond" She said. "Tu es certainment tres beau." Danielle wiped and put away the razor and took the bowls outside and dumped them. Desmond ran his hands over his cheeks, enjoying their smoothness. He noticed his pack leaning against one wall and went and picked it up. "Are you ready to go and try to find my friend?" He asked Danielle. She nodded."I had a sailboat but I loaned it to someone so we'll have to walk." Danielle picked up her pack and they left the bunker.

Chapter 6

"What do you think of our friend Mr. O'Neill?" John Locke asked Charlie as they walked down the beach. The tall man was currently sitting under a tree contentedly eating a mango. "I don't know, John. I don't trust him." Locke nodded. He had his own doubts about the newest addition to their group. He didn't remember seeing the man board the plane either. The fact that he knew about his being in a wheelchair disturbed him. How could this man know that if he hadn't seen him in the airport? The only person on the island he had told about his condition was dead. The fact that he had supposedly survived alone on the island for sixty plus days was plausible. Locke knew he himself could do it with little trouble. He still wasn't ready to Be too trusting of Joe O'neill. Locke had done that with Ethan and look what had happened. "I think I'm going to go and have a talk with our new friend." Locke said. Charlie nodded. "There's just something not right about him." Locke turned and walked across the sand to the palm tree where Kelvin was sitting. The man from business class was very tall and solidly built. He had slightly curly brown hair with a bit of gray at the temples. Locke figured he was somewhere in his mid forties. "Tropical fruits are delicious, aren't they?" he said as he approached. Kelvin looked up. "They are good. Mangoes are my favorite." he held out another mango. "Care to join me?" Locke slowly sat down and took the offered fruit. "Thanks. Joe, is it?" Kelvin nodded. "Joe O'Neill. You're John Locke, right?" Locke nodded. Kelvin smiled to himself. Things were going better than he had planned. He wasn't going to show his hand just yet though. He could tell that the survivors didn't trust him. Kelvin didn't really blame them. He had been trained not to trust anybody, but even if he hadn't been he would act the same way to someone who just walked onto the beach claiming to be one of them. (It had taken hiim a few weeks to begin to trust Desmond.) Locke took a knife from the sheath attached to his belt and sliced into the plump fruit. He licked the juice that ran down onto his fingers and tried to figure out what was bothering him about his companion. "What do you do in the real world, Mr. Locke?" Kelvin asked. "It's John, and I was a regional collections manager for a box company. Interesting, huh?" Kelvin smiled. "That sounds like good honest work. I own several sporting goods stores in Chicago." Locke cut a slice off the mango and ate it. "I couldn't help but notice your knife." Kelvin said. "That's not a standard hunting knife is it?" Locke shrugged. "All I know is it's a good knife." Kelvin nodded. "That it is. I asked because that type of knife isn't legal to sell to civilians. At least not in Illinois." This piqued Locke's interest. "You seem to know a lot about knives." Kelvin nodded. "I sell camping and hunting knives in my store. I have to be familiar with the merchandise and the law." He paused. "The knife you have is nicknamed in some circles a "frequent flyer" because it's undetectable by airport security. At least it was pre 9-11. That may have changed now. That's why it was illegal to own one. " He paused. "The hell of it is I get slapped with a fine or worse for selling one of those in my store, and anyone who wants one can buy one easily on the Internet with no regulation." Kelvin wondered where the older man had gotten the knife. He had seen them plenty while working for the C.I.A. They were one of the weapons of choice of terrorists, survivalists, and other trouble makers. (not that he thought Locke was any of these.)Locke looked at Kelvin with interest. Kelvin wondered if he was getting dangerously close to revealing too much. He looked at the worn pocket knife in his hand, tthen back at Locke. "Are you a knife collector John?" He asked. "You might say that I am."
"That's kind of an expensive hobby." Kelvin replied. "I'm a weapons collector myself. I especially like guns and knives from the civil war era or earlier. You wouldn't believe what some of those will set you back." He took another bite of his mango. "I'm intrigued by what you said about the hatch you found. I can't imagine someone living in a place like that for any length of time." He had a look of wonder on his face as he said this last. Locke cut another slice off his own mango. "The guy we found did. His name was Desmond. Supposedly he had been down there for three years. I don't think he was a member of the Dharma initiative, the people who built the hatches. He said he was brought there after his boat crashed." Locke paused. "Could you show me this hatch?" Kelvin asked. Locke shook his head. "Unfortunately I can't. The hatch was destroyed when the failsafe was activated." He looked at his companion. "I'd like to see the hatch where you were staying. Could you take me there?" Kelvin nodded. "I'd be glad to if you're up for a bit of a walk." Kelvin glanced at Locke's left leg. "Did you hurt your leg in the hatch blast? You appeared to be favoring it when you walk." Locke hesitated. "It happened several weeks ago. There was an accident with one of the blast doors in the hatch." Locke didn't elaborate. Kelvin winced hearing that. He had nearly gotten trapped under one of the doors one of the first times Radzinsky had had him lower them so he could work on his map."You're lucky it wasn't a more serious injury." Locke nodded. "You're very perceptive, Mr. O'Neill." Kelvin smiled. "Call me Joe. It comes from being a salesman. Sizing up your customers and knowing what they want." Locke smiled. "Shall we get going?" He stood and shouldered his pack. "I'm ready when you are." Kelvin also stood and grabbed his pack. The two men started off towards the jungle.

Chapter 7

Desmond and Danielle walked through the jungle heading towards the beach. He had figured that would be a good starting point since Kelvin had been headed in that direction."Do you have any idea why they took Alex?" he asked Danielle. "No. Not really." she said, shaking her head. "All I know is they want children for some reason." She paused. "They took Claire and I'm assuming they meant to take her baby. If I hadn't found her in the jungle and brought her back to camp I shudder to think what might have happened." They were nearing the beach now. "You think your friend will be with the survivors?" Danielle asked Desmond. "He was heading this way when I last saw him. I thought it was the best place for us to start looking." Danielle nodded. "This friend, is he one of them?" Desmond shrugged. "They found him after I left him for dead. He's been with them ever since. I think he's at least working with them if he hasn't joined them." Desmond paused."I think he'll help us though." I hope he will he added silently to himself. The sun was low in the sky and the first purple shadows of dusk were visible. As they walked out onto the beach it was obvious that not many people were around. He noticed Hurley sitting by his tent and went over to him. "Hello Hurley" he said by way of greeting. The big man looked up with an expression of surprise on his face. "Hey, Desmond, Danielle" Hurley still looked a little creeped out by him. Desmond completely understood that considering he had been stumbling around the jungle starkers when they had first met. Add to that the fact that he knew what Locke was going to say before he said it and he'd be creeped out too. In fact he was a little freaked out by the whole thing. He didn't know about Hurley's relationship with Danielle but they certainly seemed to know each other. "You didn't happen to see anyone you didn't know come this way today, did you?" He asked. Hurley shook his head. "No. Not that I can think of, dude."
"You're forgetting our friend Mr. O'Neill." Charlie said joining them. He did not seem happy to see Danielle. "Mr. O'Neill?" Desmond asked. "He walked into our camp earlier today. Said he was in business class on the plane." An ides was forming in Desmond's mind. "What did this bloke look like?" he asked, wanting to see if he was correct or not. "Big tall guy, dark hair, glasses." Charlie said. "Did he have a beard?" Desmond asked. Charlie shook his head. "No. No beard" Desmond still had his suspicions but wasn't ready to say anything about them. "Is he around?" he asked. "I'd like to meet him." Charlie looked a little puzzled by this. "No. He and Locke went off a little while ago to the hatch where he was staying." Desmond nodded. If it was kelvin he wondered what he was up to. "Why do you want to find this guy?" Hurley asked. "He sounds like someone I know. I'm sure he's not but I want to see for myself." Desmond noticed the suspicious way Charlie was looking at Danielle. He wondered what kind of past history they had. "Do you know which way they went?" he asked. "I think they went towards our hatch, or what's left of it." Charlie said. Desmond nodded. "Thanks, mate" He and Danielle walked down the beach to Desmond's makeshift shelter. It was almost full dark now. "If this Mr. O'Neill is the friend you are looking for why are we not going to the hatch now?" Danielle asked. "I don't fancy stumbling around the jungle in the dark. We'll go first thing in the morning." Desmond replied. "Would you like something to eat?" he asked. "I know I could do with some supper." Danielle sat down and nodded sadly. "We'll find Alex." Desmond said reassuringly. He hoped he wouldn't be proved wrong. Desmond started a fire and heated some soup for them. "I hope you don't mind tinned soup and fruit." He smiled ruefully. "It's actually rather good. Although after three years one grows tired of it." They sipped their soup and stared at the ocean. A ways down Charlie, Claire, and baby Aaron could be seen sitting by their tent. Desmond wondered if he'd always feel like an outsider among the survivors.

In the jungle Locke and Kelvin approached the place where the swan hatch had been. Kelvin looked at the crater that was all that remained of his former home. He wasn't sorry to see the swan gone. "Perhaps we should make camp for the night." he told Locke. "It can be treacherous going at night." The older man didn't object. Sitting by the fire a short time later Kelvin debated making his move. Part of him thought he should knock Locke out while he was sleeping and drag him back to the others. A larger part of him didn't want to resort to that. (besides it was a lot farther from here to the camp than the distance from the beach where he'd found Desmond to the hatch. He wasn't looking forward to having to drag Locke.) He decided he'd make his move in the morning. Hopefully Locke would be amenable to what he had to say and he wouldn't have to use force.
A few hours later Locke opened his eyes and looked around him. Joe O'Neill was fa t asleep next to him. Lying awake, Locke thought about the mysterious man he was with and whether or not he could trust him. He still smarted from being used by Eddie when he was with the group in California, and from being tricked by Ethan on the island. He wasn't about to let it happen again. Sitting up, Locke glanced at his companion again. He didn't stir. Careful not to make a sound Locke reached for Joe's pack. So far so good. Creeping a short esdistance away he opened the bag. The contents were much what he expected to see. Several extra shirts, a pair of shorts, a beat up paperback, a book of matches, the pocketknife he'd used earlier, several mangoes, and a small flashlight. Locke hadn't really expected to find anything strange but he had to look. Working quickly put everything back in the pack and returned it to where it had been. Joe was still sleeping. Locke laid down and closed his eyes.

Chapter 8

"Danielle ma chere, Je T'aime"

"Tu sais que Je T'adore mon amore, Robert." Danielle closed her eyes and melted into her husband's embrace . "Mon amour, comment J'ai te manque." She opened her eyes. She was not with her beloved but alone in a shelter on an island beach. Desmond slept next to her, the dying light from the fire illuminating the gold highlights in his hair. Danielle tentatively reached out a hand and stroked his silky locks. Desmond stirred slightly but did not awaken. He rolled onto his back and she noticed his shirt had hiked up a bit exposing a strip of tanned flesh. Cautiously she touched him.

When he didn't awaken she caressed him a little more boldly, tracing a fingertip along the waistband of his trousers. She jerked back with a start when his hand closed over hers. Warm brown eyes regarded her with sexy complicity. “Pardonne Moi, I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me...” The words spilled out of her. “I miss my husband, Robert. I dreampt of him tonight.” Desmond looked at her with understanding. He had dreams about Penny often. Desmond reached out and brushed a wisp of hair out of Danielle's face. She really was a beautiful woman. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. “How did Robert die?” Danielle looked sad. “He got the sickness shortly after we arrived here.” There is no sickness Desmond thought but didn't say. A tear ran down Danielle's cheek. Desmond let go of her hand and brushed it away. He took her in his arms and stroked her hair. They looked at each other seeing the pain and sadness mirrored in their gazes. A moment later they were kissing. Danielle ran her hands across Desmond's muscular chest and stomach. He stopped her when she reached his waistband. “I'd like to sistah, but I can't. I'm sorry.” Danielle looked up at him. “Penny?” She asked. Desmond nodded. “She is one lucky woman to have someone who loves her so much, who will deny himself for her.” Desmond nodded. “She is.” He was conflicted. His body was telling him one thing while his mind said another. Would giving in this time really be that bad? This was the first time he had to consider this possibility since arriving on the island. Desmond glanced at the fire, now not much more than glowing embers. The luminous disk of the moon cast an ethereal glow on the water. Making a decision, he took Danielle in his arms. “We'll have to be really quiet. “ He whispered, kissing her neck. Danielle nodded and wrapped her arms around him. The lapping of the waves against the shore was the only sound that could be heard as certain clothing was removed and their bodies became one. Danielle sighed against his neck as they rocked together in exquisite slow motion. Her legs tightened around him and she clutched his back as her release came upon her. Desmond bit down on her shoulder to stifle his groan as he had his own release. Afterward they lay together naked and relaxed. They pulled their clothes together and drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

The first pale light of morning filtered through the jungle. Kelvin sat up and stretched. He glanced over at Locke. The bald man was still asleep. He stood, and picking up his pack went to sit on a fallen log nearby. Kelvin took out his knife and a mango. He paused. His bag had been tossed. Everything was neatly inside but he could tell it wasn't quite how he'd left it. He looked over at Locke again. The older man must have done a little investigating while he was sleeping. Kelvin wasn't too upset about it. If their positions had been reversed he would have done the exact same thing, except he would have made damn sure everything was put back exactly as it was. Across the way Locke sat up and rubbed his eyes.

Chapter 9

"Morning." Kelvin said. "I sure could go for some coffee. How about you?" Locke smiled. "Unfortunately we didn't bring any." He sat on a log opposite Kelvin and took a passion fruit and an energy bar out of his pack. "Why were you in Australia?" Kelvin asked Locke. He knew the answer from the file he had read but he thought it would be a good question to ask. "Vacation." Locke answered. He took a bite of his fruit. "Why were you there?" Kelvin opened a nutri-bar. "Same reason as you.I went touring with a couple buddies of mine." They finished their breakfast and prepared to head for the hatch Kelvin had supposedly been staying in. Kelvin's plan was, after they had a look around the hatch he would tell Locke he had something else to show him. If the bald man agreed he would take him to the camp of the others. He hoped Locke wouldn't give him any trouble. Kelvin had gotten to like the older man and didn't want to have to resort to force unless it was absolutely necessary.
Several hours later they arrived at the abandoned hatch. It had indeed been a supply station. (The arrow was its counterpart across the island.) Kelvin had originally discovered it on one of his explorations several years ago. Now it was empty except for some carefully placed signs of habitation. "Here we are." Kelvin pushed open the door and they entered. He felt for a switch and flicked it. A single bulb came alight, only partly successful in banishing the shadows that permeated the hatch. "There really isn't much to see here." Kelvin said. "The previous owners didn't leave much when they left." They were standing in a room that was empty except for several worn metal storage lockers. "You lived here, huh?" Locke said, looking around. He seemed distracted by something. "Yup. I did." Locke continued looking around him. He still had some doubts about his companion. Those were pushed to the back of his mind by concern about his friends. Who knows what the others were doing to them? "We'd better get going pretty soon. I want to be back at camp by dark." Kelvin looked at him. " That's fine by me." He paused. " Is something bothering you, John?" he asked. "You seem distracted all of a sudden." Locke turned. "You're very perceptive Joe." He smiled slightly. "Several of our group have been taken captive. I'm going to lead a party to find them." Kelvin put a look of surprise on his face. "Taken captive?" Locke nodded. "There is another group of people on the island. We call them the others. They tried to take a couple of us before. This time they were successful."
"I think I saw a couple of these others once." Kelvin said. "Before I came here I was awakened one morning by the sound of people in the jungle near me. There were several of them. They looked kind of like hillbillies. Ragged clothes, no shoes. I followed them secretly for a bit. Their leader seemed to be an older man with a beard." This got Locke's attention. "That sounds like them." Kelvin and Locke left the hatch and headed back to the beach. "I'd like to join your rescue party." Kelvin said. "I think I already have enough people." Locke said, a little too quickly. "Are you sure about that? It wouldn't hurt to have another person along who knows how to handle a weapon. Besides, you'll need someone who can take you to their camp." Locke stopped dead in his tracks. "The day after I saw them I retraced my steps and went exploring a little further. I think I found their encampment." Kelvin hoped Locke believed him. "Why should I believe you?" Locke said. "I'm telling the truth." Kelvin replied. "I thought you'd appreciate my assistance." Locke softened his tone slightly, realizing he may have been a bit harsh. "I guess you can come along if you want. I won't take responsibility for you though. Kelvin smiled. "That's fine by me." He thought about this new development. Ben would kill him if he brought a posse to the camp. He had to figure out how to get Locke to go with him alone. "So what's your plan?" he asked Locke. "We go back to the beach camp, get our group together, then either you or Hurley lead us to the others." Kelvin shook his head. "I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I was thinking you and I would go from here. Once we've scoped things out we can go back for reinforcements." Locke didn't seem to like that idea."You want to go there with no one else? Are you nuts?"

"No. But I think you are for wanting to go charging in there with a posse when you don't know what the situation is. I'm not saying we act alone, just that we do a little recon first ." He paused. "That's just basic military tactics. What you're suggesting is a clusterfuck waiting to happen." Locke was quiet thinking about this. "You certainly know a lot about the military." Kelvin nodded. "I was army special ops." he said by way of explanation. Locke still didn't like the idea of going without a group but Joe's plan made sense. He knew there was a good sized group of Others. Locke didn't know how well armed they were or where his friends were being held. He stopped and adjusted his pack. He decided against his better judgment to take a leap of faith and trust. "Lead on, Macduff" He said to Kelvin , smiling. "You made a smart choice , John." Kelvin said, also smiling. He was relieved that Locke had agreed without a problem. "The camp is about a day's walk from here. I hope you're up for it." "Don't worry about me." Locke replied.

Desmond walked across the sand clad only in a pair of Boxers. He felt refreshed after an early morning dip in the ocean. Danielle sat in front of his tent slicing fruit for their breakfast. He slipped inside the canvas shelter and pulled on his shirt and pants. He grabbed his shoes and stepped out to eat. "You'll be ready to go after breakfast, yeah?" he said to Danielle. "The sooner the better." she replied. Desmond and Danielle ate their simple meal, then loaded their packs with supplies and began their trek. "About last night." Danielle said as they walked ."I'm sorry if I coerced you into anything. I know how you feel about Penny." Desmond looked at her. "Don't give it another thought, sistah. I didn't do anything I didn't want to." They continued on their way and reached the remains of the swan an hour later. Desmond whistled softly as he surveyed the crater that filled the clearing. He said a silent prayer of thanks that he survived with only some scratches and bruised pride. "What happened here?" Danielle asked. "The hatch imploded after I activated the failsafe." Desmond explained. There was no sign of anyone else in the area. Looking around, Desmond did see two sets of footprints in the dirt. "I think we just missed them" he said. "They shouldn't be too far ahead though." He suggested they follow the tracks for a while and see if they could catch up.