Part 279: Ambush

The group continued their walk on the dirt road, with slight muddy puddles as they went. Kate was trying to help keep spirits up by bringing up the one subject that everyone loved to talk about; food. She asked what Shanna missed the most and the redhead responded with waffles and peanut butter. Kate said a large helping of peanut butter cookies and an ice cold glass of milk would be just fine for her. The thought of peanut butter made Marita scream in delight. “What food do you miss the most, Marita?” asked Shanna.

“Oh, my god,” she sighed, “I would kill for a chocolate ice cream sundae, with lots of chocolate syrup and almonds.”

“Dang that sounds great.” Tony chuckled.

“ I really don’t need to be hearing this.” Jack laughed as he walked ahead of them.

“What are you craving the most, Jack?” asked the blind doctor.

“You tell me yours first, Tony.” He retorted.

“He wants an ice cold Coke,” the Latina by his side laughed.

“Actually, already had one thanks to Belmont,” the blind doctor laughed, “But . . .as far as food goes . .I’d really love a steaming pile of broccoli, drenched in butter and garlic.”

“You’re right, Jack,” Sawyer coughed, “I really don’t need to be hearing this either.”

“Okay, Jack, your turn.” Tony insisted.

“Well . . .I am actually craving some breakfast food. Like . ..some French toast, with some burnt bacon and scrambled eggs. With ketchup on them.”

Sawyer’s stomach turned at the thought of eggs with ketchup. “Yankees,” he scoffed.

“Okay, Mr. Redneck, what exactly are you graving?” the doctor pushed a little.

The southern man let the smoke drift from his fingers. “Now that you mention it . . .I might kill someone for a Heart-Attack Burger.” He grinned.

“A . . .a what?” Kate gasped.

“There is a little diner just outside of Memphis. They offer the Heart-Attack burger. It’s a half pound of beef, with sautéed onions, swiss cheese and mayonnaise.”

“Oh, my God, that’s gross!!” Shanna laughed.

“Don’t knock it till you try it, cherry pie.” The redneck chuckled.

“No thanks. It would probably stop my heart like you said.”

“Actually, it sounds pretty good.” McKay smiled as he walked ahead in the lead.

“Your turn, Curly.” Sawyer called to him, “What food you need right now?”

“Ain’t saying,” he smirked.

“Oh, bull crap you ain’t saying,” the redneck scoffed with a smile, “Spill it, Baldy! What food you craving the most?”

The group then went into a chorus of laughing, begging McKay to reveal what food he wanted to have. McKay smirked; he knew what was coming after he said it but it was still all in good fun. “Shrimp,” he sighed with a grin, “I am craving shrimp.”

“LETS PUT ANOTHER SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE!!!” Sawyer screamed in his best fake Australian accent.

“I knew he was going to say that.” McKay pointed his finger at him.

The group continued their laughter. After they caught their breath, Kate looked around. ”Okay, who’s left?” she smiled, “Locke? Sayid?”

“Twinkies.” Locke smiled, “Ever since Hurley mentioned them, I haven’t been able to get them out of my mind.”

“That’s Hurley for ya.” Jack laughed.

“How about you, Sayid?” The brunette laughed.

“The only thing I can think of that I would truly enjoy would be a flame roasted sirloin with a side of boiled mushrooms and wild rice.” The Iraqi said with such joy.

“Wait a second,” Sawyer turned to look back at him, “You? A sirloin?”

“Is there some room that an Iraqi can’t enjoy a steak?”

“Isn’t that kinda like . . .against your religion and stuff?”

“I see with you, Sawyer, that ignorance TRULY is bliss.” The middle easterner smiled.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“I am a Muslim, not a Hindu,” he pointed out, “Muslims do not worship cows but Hindus do. As a result, I have had a steak once and a while.”

“Well, la-de-da, “ the redneck threw up his hands, “I don’t think they covered who worshiped the moo-moos in high school.”

“I knew that,” McKay smiled.

“Oh, you’re just getting back at me for that Barbie crack,” the redneck flipped off his friend.

“I must admit, it’s kinda funny what you know and what you . .Son of a bitch.” The man said as he un-holstered his gun.

“McKay, what-“ the redneck blinked.

“KREEGAN!!” McKay yelled as he shoved his gun forward, “PUT THAT RIFLE DOWN AND GET ON THE GROUND!!! NOW!!”

Everyone’s eyes flashed forward. Up the road, the old man known as Kreegan stumbled forward. In his right hand was a hunting rifle, and he was stumbling forward. Jack quickly took notice of the blood covering the man’s jacket. He was stumbling about in a daze, looking around. “What’s wrong with him?” Jack asked.

“It’s a trick,” Sawyer said, loading his shotgun, “ That other soldier is out in there in the jungle, waiting to bushwhack us!”

“I don’t know, “Locke pointed, “He really looks hurt.”

“KREEGAN!!” McKay screamed slowly walking toward him, “I will not ask you again! Drop that rifle or I will shoot you!”

“Help . . .me . . .” he stuttered.

“What did he say?” Tony said, using his acute hearing.

Then a shot gun blast fired out of the wooded area. The ground exploded near Shanna’s right foot, making her right foot. Sawyer reacted by firing a blast from his own shotgun into the direction of the burst. The leaves exploded from the rounds and then someone yelled out from being shot.

However, it was a females voice.

Sawyer froze; he knew full well Kreegan’s fellow soldier was a male. Sayid quickly stumbled into the woods and found someone near the bottom of a tree. The middle easterner was amazed to see a young girl laying there, holding a shotgun. He quickly grabbed it from her, seeing her massive wound just below her neck. “JACK!!” Sayid screamed.

“Who is it?” called Sawyer.

“It’s some girl!” Sayid replied.

“WHAT???” the redneck screamed.

Jack rushed into the woods to check on the young girl. Sawyer felt like he was gonna faint. Kate was down with Shanna, helping her best she could. Small amounts of blood oozed from her ankle, making her cry from the pain. McKay had taken his eyes off Kreegan when he heard that Sawyer had hit a young girl. Then he heard some screaming and wild female screaming. He turned around long enough to see a teenaged girl stabbing Kreegan massively in the back. Marita gasped as she gripped onto Tony’s arm. “What’s happening?” he demanded.

Kreegan slumped down, his life finally over. The young girl slowly pulled the blade out of his back and then eyeballed the others. McKay squinted his eyes and immediately recognized who she was. The black bandanna around her throat told him everything he needed to know.

The girl then screamed violently and ran toward them, holding her knife in the air. McKay didn’t hesitate; he immediately opened a volley into her. Bullets rattled her chest, jolting her body from left to right. She then dropped on the ground, shaking slightly then stopped. McKay slowly lowered his gun, looking at her. “Tony, “ Marita buried her head in his shoulder, “She’s got . . . a black bandana.”

“Damn it,” he hissed, “Black Faction.”

“That group of kids that was enemies with Alexander and his brethren?” Locke asked, remembering the story.

“The one in the same.” McKay said, holstering his weapon, “I was never sure if we got them all. I guess we didn’t.”

The group finally walked over to join the others. Tony and Marita walked over to check on Shanna, who was still crying from the wound in her foot. McKay walked over past Sawyer, who was still in shock, holding his shotgun like he could drop it at any second. The Australian stepped through the woods, where Jack and Sayid were with the other girl. Jack looked up at his bald friend. “She got a full blunt shotgun blast to the chest, “ he whispered, “It’s only a matter of time.”

“I know,” McKay whispered.

Jack then was startled as the girl reached for his throat. The doctor stood up abruptly, as she wasn’t strong enough to actually strangle him. “Vous tuer,” she whispered, “vous tuer . . . tout.”

The girl rolled the eyes into the back of her and her last gasp escaped her lips. Jack was disgusted and felt sympathedic at the same time. Sayid slowly put his gun back in his holster. “What did she say?” he asked.

McKay pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed. “She said kill you,” he coughed, “Kill you all.”

Jack was in shock, not knowing what to think of a girl born completely out of The Lord of The Flies. Sayid slowly walked out of the jungle to join the other’s on the dirt road. McKay motioned to follow him. “Better check on Shanna, Jack,” the Australian mentioned.

Jack walked past the dead girl and back onto the dirt road. He continued walking toward Shanna to check on her ankle. McKay paused when he saw Sawyer still staring the dead teenager. “Sawyer.” McKay said, trying to get his attention.

The redneck didn’t move.

“SAWYER!” McKay yelled in his face.

The southern man finally blinked. He looked at the Australian who gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “I know you are in shock by what has happened, “ he sighed, “But believe me . . .you did the right thing.”

“She’s . . .just a kid, McKay.” He whispered.

“Yeah, on the outside, it’s a 17 year old girl,” his friend bent his eyebrows in, “But inside, she’s a wild animal. Her kind and her people killed a good friend of ours. They had every intent of burying John alive and the part I will never forget . ..their leader made every attempt to rape Taylor.”

Sawyer looked at his friend with shock. He clearly didn’t know what had happened.

“So ask God for forgiveness on your own time but do not shed any tears for that girl, “ McKay walked past him, “I can promise you, if you had hesitated, you would be dead.”

Sawyer took a deep breath. He didn’t like being put in his place but everything McKay said made sense; not to mention that he had learned to trust the Australian. He walked back over to join the group that was surrounded the wounded redhead. Jack had taken off her shoe and her sock, then poured water over the blood. Once he cleaned it off, he was able to see the full extent of the damage. Jack smirked as he reached into his bag. “Two pellets, Shanna.” He smiled.

“That’s it?” she sniffed.

“See, Honey?” Kate kissed her forehead, “It’s not that bad.”

“It hurts bad enough.” The redhead wiped her tears.

“Lets me clean it and put a bandage on it.” The doctor smiled.

Marita patted her hand, giving her comfort over what happened. Shanna wiped her tears, as Jack removed the two pellets. “Some tough chick I am, huh?” she sniffed.

“No one cares if you are tough or not, Shanna.” Tony smiled, “We like you for who you are.”

“Absolutely.” Marita agreed.

Jack proceeded to bandage her foot as Sayid stood up. He then looked around toward the bodies of the other Black Faction girl and the old man Kreegan. However, the Iraqi did notice one thing that was amiss. “Where is Locke?” he asked.

“Huh?” McKay blinked.

“Our resident Island expert is missing.”

The others looked around and noticed that truly the bald man was gone. McKay and Sayid got ready to go look for him but then noticed him jogging toward them from ahead of the road. The two friends walked down the panting old man. “Where did you go, Locke?” McKay asked.

“It occurred . . .to me . .” he said, catching his breath, “If Kreegan was nearby . . .then so was the jeep.”

“Did you find it?” Sayid asked with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I found it,” he coughed, leaning up, “With one dead soldier in the passenger seat and a steaming water pile of water near the front of the vehicle. Sound familiar?”

“The radiator?” the Iraqi asked.

“The damn girls must have shot it to get to Kreegan and the other gun,” McKay threw down his hat in disgust.

“Regardless, we are still walking. How is Shanna?”

“Her wound is minor.” Sayid pointed out.

“But can she walk?” Locke pointed out.

McKay and Sayid exchange a quick glance. The extent of the damage to her ankle never occurred to them; they were too busy with the Black Faction girls. The three companions walked back over to the huddled ground. Kate was helping Shanna stand up, who did her best to put pressure on her foot but it wasn’t working. “She can’t walk like this.” Jack pointed, “If she does, the ankle will swell and she’ll get a blood infection.”

“Then I’ll head back to the Outpost with her and we’ll wait for you guys,” Kate said.

“NO,” Shanna grunted, “I can make it.”

“Shanna, you don’t have-“ Tony tried to say something.

“Mia is counting on me,” Shanna pleaded,” I can’t let her down.”

The group admired her conviction but wasn’t sure how to handle her wound, especially since the jeep was totaled. Then Sawyer slung his shotgun off of his shoulder and his back-pack, handing them both to McKay. Then he got on his knees and held out his hands in front of Shanna. “You’re going to carry her?” Kate asked in disbelief.

“She don’t want to leave,” he stared back at her, “You got a better idea, Freckles?”

“It’ll have to do,” Tony said, making the decision final.

Shanna limped over and got onto Sawyer’s back. He grabbed her pale legs and then stood up, as she placed her arms around his neck. McKay motioned for everybody to follow him as he shifted up his friend’s back pack onto his other shoulder.


The group walked along for a few minutes and came across the second jeep, as Locke said. The other soldier was missing a good portion of his face, taken apart by a shotgun blast. The ground near the front of the jeep was flooded by water, again just like Locke said. McKay sighed, wishing they didn’t have to walk but they needed to keep going. Kate turned back and looked to Shanna, who was smiling as she rested her head on Sawyer’s shoulder blades. “You okay up there?” she asked.

“I must admit, this is DEFINITELY the way to travel, “ she giggled.

“Ha, ha,” the redneck smirked.

“Seriously, Sawyer, McKay is right, “ Shanna said, kissing his head, “If you hadn’t have killed that Black Faction girl, she might have got another shot off and killed me . .or Kate. You did the right thing.”

“Thanks, cherry,” he smiled.

The group continued on in silence as the day began to sick into darkness across the jungle before them.