Hugh Emerson was already awake and contemplating another trip to the latrine when the shriek of some kind of craft passed overhead. He sat up in his shelter. Looking out across the camp, Hugh witnessed the crash of the...plane? Jet? Whatever it was, it tumbled end over end before coming to rest. Mars was running toward it, with Sayid following behind.
He hesitated for only a moment, then reached into a badly woven basket and pulled out a machete. It was, in fact, the same machete Amanda had used in her attack on George--which was why Hugh kept it discreetly out of sight most of the time. But weapons were in short supply, so he wasn't willing to discard it.
A brilliant flash of light in the darkness startled him. Then another, fainter flash, the muzzle flash of Sayid's handgun. Hugh struggled out of his shelter and climbed to his feet, cursing his aged body all the while. Sayid's scream was followed by a rapid series of gunshots.
Hugh hustled but by the time he'd jogged over to the crash sight the excitement was all over. Sayid was kneeling over...
"Jesus Christ," Hugh exclaimed. "Is that--that's Mars." It had to be. He only wore that one damn jacket.
"It is," Sayid said. "Was. He's dead."
Hugh studied the other body for a moment. "He did that?" Hugh asked.
Sayid nodded silently, lost in his own thoughts. He was pressing the heel of one hand to his forehead, apparently unaware that he was still clutching the weapon in that hand. Hugh would have been a lot more worried about where the gun was pointed if the slide weren't locked back on an empty chamber.
Hugh crouched slowly, then used the machete to methodically hack the creature's--for it was clearly a creature of some kind and not a man--head off.
"Was that truly necessary?" Sayid asked when Hugh was done.
Hugh met his eyes. "I don't know," he said. "And since I don't know, better safe than sorry. I've seen vampires come back from a lot of things, but never from decapitation."
"You think this was a vampire?"
"Not like any I ever saw," Hugh admitted. "But it sure as hell seems to be some kind of vampire," Hugh said, gesturing at Mars. He studied the camp for a moment. "And I'll tell you something else for nothing--there's something wrong over there."
Sayid followed his gaze. "Why do you say--ah," he said, nodding as he recognized what Hugh was seeing. Nobody in camp was stirring, despite the unmistakeable arrival of the aircraft, its crash and repeated gunshots. The camp ought to buzzing like a disturbed beehive.
"I don't suppose you have any more bullets for that thing?" Hugh asked.
Sayid placed the gun on Mars' chest. "Alas, no." He reached over and picked up the strange handgun the...vampire had used on Mars. "But we have this." He held it out to Hugh.
Hugh hesitated for only a moment, then traded the machete for the vampire's gun. Much as he hated to admit it, Sayid was young and strong enough to make far better use of the machete.
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timeasmymeasure
[Hugh] Fearless Monster Killers
Date: 2006-09-21 03:26 am (UTC)He hesitated for only a moment, then reached into a badly woven basket and pulled out a machete. It was, in fact, the same machete Amanda had used in her attack on George--which was why Hugh kept it discreetly out of sight most of the time. But weapons were in short supply, so he wasn't willing to discard it.
A brilliant flash of light in the darkness startled him. Then another, fainter flash, the muzzle flash of Sayid's handgun. Hugh struggled out of his shelter and climbed to his feet, cursing his aged body all the while. Sayid's scream was followed by a rapid series of gunshots.
Hugh hustled but by the time he'd jogged over to the crash sight the excitement was all over. Sayid was kneeling over...
"Jesus Christ," Hugh exclaimed. "Is that--that's Mars." It had to be. He only wore that one damn jacket.
"It is," Sayid said. "Was. He's dead."
Hugh studied the other body for a moment. "He did that?" Hugh asked.
Sayid nodded silently, lost in his own thoughts. He was pressing the heel of one hand to his forehead, apparently unaware that he was still clutching the weapon in that hand. Hugh would have been a lot more worried about where the gun was pointed if the slide weren't locked back on an empty chamber.
Hugh crouched slowly, then used the machete to methodically hack the creature's--for it was clearly a creature of some kind and not a man--head off.
"Was that truly necessary?" Sayid asked when Hugh was done.
Hugh met his eyes. "I don't know," he said. "And since I don't know, better safe than sorry. I've seen vampires come back from a lot of things, but never from decapitation."
"You think this was a vampire?"
"Not like any I ever saw," Hugh admitted. "But it sure as hell seems to be some kind of vampire," Hugh said, gesturing at Mars. He studied the camp for a moment. "And I'll tell you something else for nothing--there's something wrong over there."
Sayid followed his gaze. "Why do you say--ah," he said, nodding as he recognized what Hugh was seeing. Nobody in camp was stirring, despite the unmistakeable arrival of the aircraft, its crash and repeated gunshots. The camp ought to buzzing like a disturbed beehive.
"I don't suppose you have any more bullets for that thing?" Hugh asked.
Sayid placed the gun on Mars' chest. "Alas, no." He reached over and picked up the strange handgun the...vampire had used on Mars. "But we have this." He held it out to Hugh.
Hugh hesitated for only a moment, then traded the machete for the vampire's gun. Much as he hated to admit it, Sayid was young and strong enough to make far better use of the machete.