The first thing she noticed was that the darkness around was somehow different than it had been five minutes ago. This oblivion was more permanent and pervasive, yet less claustrophobic than the first. With the first darkness, she'd been able to wrap her mind around its deceit; there still was a lit and functioning world just beyond that pleated canvas. But with this darkness, there seemed to be nothing to wrap her mind around.

The second thing she noticed was the lack of the bag itself. The mildewy smell of damp fabric and the stuffiness of her own exhaled breath had been replaced by what smelled like the tang of close ocean salt. The humidity of the afternoon had dissipated along with the blistering heat and the familiar whispers of cool night air barely brushed her bare arms. There was still the helpless feeling of cord that bound her wrists and the throbbing in her lower back and shoulders told her, that five minutes ago was an uncertainty too.

As Kate struggled through the fog of sedation, the events of what had happened suddenly bombarded her sluggish thoughts, forcing them into a whirlwind of images and sensation before exploding into a maelstrom of a headache.

The roar of the engine…

The ringing in her ears…

The sting from the dart…

The ache in her knees…

The arrogance in their voices…

The intensity in his eyes…

This was what it felt like to go crazy, she thought, her own eyes and pulse racing frantically, pleading with the darkness to slow down her runaway mind. Yet the harder she looked, the more her brain spiraled and Kate felt the unexpected wave of vertigo toss her completely over the edge. She choked on the now soggy gag as nausea settled itself in the pit of her stomach. Desperation viciously clutched her breath away, raking its claws down her parched throat, and just when Kate felt the edges of her mind begin to lose clarity, she squinted hard, recoiling against a blinding light.

For a moment, she was like a deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic, completely absorbed by that which had broken through the darkness. But soon its glare became hostile to her own unadjusted eyes. Once again her vision tunneled to blurriness.

She felt the other presence on the room before she saw its shadow and blinked rapidly past the burning tears watering her sight. Mumbling reached her ears, but despite her best efforts at concentration, she couldn't make the low sounds form recognizable words.

Then something soft and cool pressed along her forehead and wet rivulets of water slid down her face and neck to wet the collar of her t-shirt. It rinsed the sweat from her skin and gently absorbed the excess tears filling her eyes. As the damp cloth worked its magic, Kate breathed a shaky sigh of relief feeling the dizziness loosening its vice-like clasp.

"That's enough, Alex."

At the sound of the voice, Kate raised her head, her eyes meeting a pair of large green ones so similar to her own. The face of the girl looked apologetic and as she stood and backed away, Kate guessed the girl was in her late-teens. She watched her fidget with the drenched rag in her hand, wringing it nervously with her fingers.

"Sorry about the sedative. It was the easiest way to secure you," the voice continued.

The instant Kate managed to locate the owner, she wished she hadn't thought to look for him. It was Henry again, or at least the Other who went by that alias. He held a torch in his hand, but was still dressed in the same ragged clothes and stood on bare feet like she had seen on the dock. He fixed her with a contemptuous stare and a smirk returned to his almost non-existent lips. Kate could only hope blatant defiance glared back at him.

"I'm quite glad you're awake though," he said in a patronizing tone. "We have a lot to discuss."

Pulling up the legs of his pants, he squatted in front of her, close enough to intimidate but far enough to flee if somehow she escaped her bonds. If her mouth was not stretched by the gag, she would have returned the smirk at this observation. "There are a few ground rules I feel I should layout if you are to stay here with us."

He said it as if she had a choice.

"As you can see, your friends are not with you," he said, gesturing to the empty hut around them. "But don't worry, they are being taken care of."

The reassurance was anything but. She managed to keep her gaze obdurate, even though the mention of Jack and Sawyer engendered a deep sense of foreboding in her chest. If they weren't here with her, then where were they?

"We expect theirs and your full cooperation and there will be consequences if this condition is not satisfied. Let me just say that testing the water on this one would not be in anyone's best interest."

Green fury shot fire at blue apathy, the intense staredown settling thickly along with the warning among the three present. Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw Alex shift nervously and stored the subtle tell to memory. Maybe she was the girl that had helped Claire escape. At least she fit Claire's vague description.

"Alex, remove her gag." She stumbled forward quickly, and Kate noticed the look in her eyes was not one of subordinate fear and yet not one of hate or even dislike. She was merely a kid, doing what was requested of her, like an obedient dog who follows commands without question but wonders why exactly a specific task was requested.

Her hands worked gently yet fastidiously, loosening the tight knot at the back of Kate's head, apologizing softly when she accidentally pulled Kate's hair. When she backed away, her eyes found Kate's once again and for a second, she swore a promise in Alex's eyes. But before she could confirm the girl's empathies, Henry's nasal voice broke through again.

"Being allowed outside for fresh air is a privilege, one that can be taken back if anyone of you tries anything rash. Food and water are also privileges, although please realize, we are not barbaric and would rather like to keep you comfortable." He smiled at her, leaning close. "Do you understand?"

For a long moment Kate just stared, scowling at him with unabashed fury, contemplating whether to act like Sawyer and snap off some smart-ass comment or take Jack's lead and just shoot daggers with looks.

"Do. You. Understand."

Jack won. She nodded, not trusting her voice and glared as he smiled, spinning on his heel. He had almost reached the door of the hut when she felt the desperate need to fight back. It wasn't in her nature to not retort to a threat. The Marshal had learned that much.

"I don't care what you do to me," she snarled, her bravado seeming to echo loudly against the thatched walls and roof. For a second, she thought he was going to ignore her comment, but one of his smiles, the kind that made her stomach twist, stretched across his face and an amused screeching chuckle escaped his mouth.

"Oh, it's not what we're going to do to you, Katherine." He paused, reveling in her horror as her full name smacked her right between the eyes. "It's what we're going to do to them."