Lost Video Island

[mistojen]

Inmates
A/N: ...anyone who reads this here has become an unofficial beta reader, so I'd REALLY like some feedback on this one. I've never posted this one before, anywhere...I actually just finished it, even though it's been rotting on my harddrive in the form of a few paragraphs for years. ANY input would be great, even if to say it totally bites. I'd really appreciate it...

“Well, sweet cheeks, it’s a good thing you’ve got such a big mouth, or else I’d be rollin’ in the dough and we'd be going our separate ways.”

Rolling her eyes, Shannon sighed. “Look, pal, I don’t even belong here. I’m an innocent bystander.”

The man in the cell beside her looked up at the wall separating the two of them. “Oh, really? That why you called your brother to get you the money?” He smirked, pleased with himself.

Shannon crossed the floor and stood beside the wall joining the two cells. “You tricked me,” she snapped.

“Like hell I did; I told you what I was up to,” the man drawled lazily.

“You told me it was a donation, you son of a bitch,” Shannon shot back angrily.

The smirk turned into a grin. “Oh, did I forget to mention who the donation went to? Sorry ‘bout that, Barbie. You didn’t think it was a tad shady that I wanted you to just write out a check to cash and give it to me in the middle of an airport?”

“Look, I’m not a stupid charity freak, okay? I don’t know how donations work,” she replied through the wall, seething.

“Guess that explains why you thought you’d get a profit from it. ‘Donations’ don’t work that way, darlin’,” he replied, the smile apparent in his voice.

Shannon gave up, sitting down on the cot in her cell, hating the world.

It happened a few hours ago...or rather, it started a few hours ago when she was in the airport. Her flight had been on time, and she’d sorely missed it, and was left stranded. The airline was less than accommodating when it came to her tardiness.

“So, there’s nothing you can do? You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me! I got lost on the way here...this isn’t my fault! Can’t you just put me on another flight? I’ve got the e-ticket for this one–-I did buy a ticket!” Shannon shouted at the woman behind the counter.

“I’m sorry, miss, but we can’t give you a gratis replacement ticket just because you missed your flight through no fault of ours. Your flight was on time, so there’s nothing I can do. You’ll just have to buy another ticket,” the woman replied.

“I can’t buy another ticket...I don’t have any more money,” Shannon replied, sheepishly. “I just need to go home...please don’t make me stay here...” she begged.

"I'm sorry, miss," the woman repeated, "there's just nothing I can do."

Shannon wanted to cry she was so angry. She turned harshly from the woman and walked into one of the bars to get a drink. Maybe after a cocktail, she could relax and clear her head. The only option she could think of, now, was one she did not want to take. What Shannon didn't notice, though, was the good-looking, tall blond man who followed her in and had taken a seat beside her as she sipped on her Cranberry and Vodka.

"What could bring such a pretty girl to tears?"

Shannon looked up from her drink and over at the new voice. She frowned. "I missed my flight."

"They couldn't put you on another?" the man baited.

"Apparently not," Shannon replied angrily, "because I'm still f***ing sitting here."

"Can't you just buy another ticket?" the man asked, even though he'd already heard her entire conversation. Actually, he already knew all about this girl, and she was a perfect target for his present con.

Shannon sighed. "Uh, if I could, do you think I'd be crying in some airport bar, drinking a weak Cranberry Vodka and talking to you?" she shot back nastily.

"Whoa, there, Junior Miss," he laughed, putting his hands up defensively. "Why don't you just call someone and ask them to wire it to you, or put it in an account that you can withdraw from, or something? There's got to be a thousand ATMs in here...and I know that there's a Western Union down the hall a little way...was just there, myself."

"Really?" Shannon asked. She raised her eyebrows and then frowned. "Well," she said, "if I wanted to, I could, but I don't like asking for money."

"What if," the man said slowly, "I told you that there's a way you can get double and a half the money that someone was to send you just by making a simple donation?"

Again, she raised her eyebrows. "Just by making a donation?" she asked. "How much?"

The man shrugged and looked down for a moment before meeting her eyes again. "Ten grand."

"You think that I'm going to just donate ten thousand dollars just to get back a measley fourty-five hundred? Please," Shannon replied with a roll of her eyes.

Again, the man shrugged. "Your loss, sweetness...all you have to do is ask for more and then you get more. But, if you're not interested..." he let his voice trail off purposefully and then stood and started away.

"Wait."

The man smiled briefly to himself before changing his expression to interest and turning back to her.

"So, if I ask for, like...fifteen thousand instead of fifteen hundred, I'd get back forty-five thousand, instead of forty-five hundred...?" Shannon asked.

A small smile etched itself over the blond man's lips. "That's the ticket, darlin'," he said with a wink.

Shannon paused to think it over. She could just tell Boone that she got stuck in prison again for drug smuggling and he'd believe her. She could tell him that the bail was set at fifteen thousand because of her many prior offenses and the fact that she wasn't a resident of the country and he'd believe her. She could tell him that he didn't have to come save the day and he'd be more than willing to send the money. "Give me a few minutes," she said to the man and stood up. When the man nodded, Shannon walked away from him and found a quiet spot to make her phone call.

"Oh, what's the matter, cupcake?" the voice asked her through the wall and Shannon closed her eyes, willing herself to ignore it. "Can't think of a witty comeback?"

"Shut the f*** up," Shannon muttered.

"Sorry," the man said with a smile in his voice. "What was that? Didn't quite catch it."

"I said," Shannon replied, raising her voice, "shut. the. f***. up!"

"I've got it," Shannon said, "but I can't take it out of the ATM...it's too much."

"Well, it ain't gonna do you any good if you don't actually have it, darlin'," the man said, furrowing his brow.

"Well, can't I, like, write a check, or something?" she asked, "my brother wouldn't wire it to me. He said that I didn't need cash, because the..." she paused, "they would take a check."

The man raised his eyebrows, slightly curious as to who "they" were supposed to be. He considered this. "If you write it out to cash, I suppose a check'll do it," he finally said.

Shannon shrugged and opened her checkbook. "I get it immediately?"

"Absolutely," the man replied sincerely with a nod. "Wouldn't do you much good if you didn't, would it? Seeing as how you're stuck here until you get it..."

"Right," Shannon said and began to cut him a check, written out to cash. She tore the check from the book and held it out to him. When the man reached for it, she pulled it away. "Where's my cut?" she asked.

"Well, I don't have it on me right this second, beautiful," he replied cooly, "I have to go get it."

Shannon frowned but handed the man her check. "What's your name?" she asked.

"Sawyer," he replied. "Last name, that is. I don't tend to give out my first. Yours?"

"Rutherford," she said, "you don't need my first, either, do you?"

The man named Sawyer shook his head. "Not if you don't want to give it, darlin'."

"I don't," she said. "Hurry up, so I can get a flight out of this stupid country."

"I'll get right on it," Sawyer said, smiling and walking away.

"Hey miss...?" a new voice asked. Shannon looked up. "I'm sorry to have overheard," said the bartender, "but...do you think that was entirely...uh...wise?"

Shannon furrowed her brow with confusion. "What?"

"Writing a check to cash to some man whose whole name you don't know?" the bartender asked.

"We have a deal," Shannon replied, choosing to ignore that she was now willing to admit that it probably wasn't.

"The thing is, miss..." the bartender said slowly as he reached underneath the bar and pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to her.

Shannon took the paper and looked at it. On it, was a picture of the man. His name was listed as James Ford, aka Sawyer Ford, aka James Sawyer. He was wanted for money laundering, fraud, and counterfeiting cash. He was listed as armed and possibly dangerous. "Jesus!" she screetched.

"Would you like me to call the police now, then?" the bartender asked, raising his eyebrows.

"F***! Yes, you idiot!" she shouted and stood, hurrying out of the bar. She saw the back of Sawyer's head retreating about fifty feet ahead of her. "HEY! STOP!" she screamed. "Security! I've been robbed!" she added, breaking into a run as Sawyer looked back at her, grinned, and took off.

"You brought this upon yourself, you know," Sawyer drawled. "The only difference between you and me is that I still got a way outta this joint and you're stuck. I reckon your brother ain't gonna send you another fifteen grand so soon."

Shannon dropped her head in her hands and closed her eyes. He was right. Boone would never buy another story about being arrested again so soon, and he sure as hell wouldn't send her the money if she told him what really happened... "What's your way out?" she asked, lifting her head slightly.

"Doesn't really matter, now, does it?" Sawyer asked, "it ain't gonna help you none."

"What is it?" Shannon asked again.

Sawyer grinned and leaned up against their cells' adjoined wall. "Let's just say I know howta spring myself. This ain't my first time, Sticks."

"Sticks?" Shannon asked, making a face and looking over at the wall behind which Sawyer stood.

"As in those legs of yours," he drawled with a smile.

Shannon rolled her eyes.

"You know, it's just kinda a shame that you couldn't just let it go," he said almost cheerfully, "because I was gonna come back for ya. I wasn't gonna have money, or anything, but I was gonna spin you some tale and take you back to my room."

Shannon raised her eyebrows. "What the f*** for?" she asked stupidly.

"' the f*** you think?" Sawyer asked. "You're dumber than I thought."

This small admission was all Shannon needed. "You think I'm pretty?" she asked casually, standing.

"I'm not in love with you, if that's what you're askin'," he replied arrogantly.

"That's not what I asked."

"Hell yeah, I think you're pretty," Sawyer replied, "what? You think I con ugly women? What's the damn point of that? I gotta sleep with 'em to get what I want mosta the time...and I don't want their money that bad."

Shannon smiled. "And you really think you can just get out of here? Just like that?" she asked.

"'Course I can," Sawyer replied confidently, "done it before in bigger places."

"Oh yeah?" Shannon asked, "what makes you think you can escape, then?"

"A magician never tells his secrets," Sawyer replied cooly. "Which is why you'd make a piss poor partner in crime."

The security guards flocked in from every possible direction and surrounded them.

"You're under arrest," one of them said, slapping a pair of handcuffs on Sawyer.

Another grabbed Shannon and opened another pair for her.

"Whoa, wait, what are you doing?" she asked, pulling her hands out of the guard's grasp. "He stole from me."

"You were an active participant in the scam, and so, you, too, are under arrest."

"Now, wait a minute!" Shannon screamed, "that was my money!"

The guard shook his head and put Shannon in her own pair of handcuffs, leading her out of the airport behind Sawyer. "We were having him followed, and, as it happens, you, as well, when we saw you conversing. We heard your phone call and traced it. You're under arrest for embezzling money from Carlyle Weddings."

"You're f***ing kidding me! My brother gave me that money! I didn't know this guy was going to steal it!" Shannon shouted.

The guard suggested that she hold her tongue until she could speak with a lawyer. Shannon did.

"I could learn..." Shannon offered. "I mean, this way, we both win. I make some money, and you get to con men, too."

Sawyer paused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means...get me out of here and I'll go around with you," Shannon said. "I'll con the men like you con the women. We both know that my looks alone could get us pretty damn far." She looked around and saw the lone officer whose duty it was to watch them turn back toward them, hang up the phone, and get up from his desk. She sat down.

The officer walked out of the room, leaving them alone.

There was a soft clanking sound that Shannon ignored as she decided to push her offer once more. "Please? I'll make it worth your while," she crooned.

Sawyer smiled and closed the door of his cell quietly. "I'm sure you would, sweetheart," he said as he stepped up to the outside of Shannon's cell. He grinned when her eyes went wide and she stood, hurrying toward the door. "But, unfortunately, that wasn't part of the plan," he said, winking and tossing the officer's key ring back onto his desk.

Shannon stared at Sawyer with a pathetic expression of surprise and hurt.

"You have a nice night, now, y'hear?" he asked with a grin and turned his back on her, dropping a wad of cash down on the officer's desk as he walked out the door, toward his own freedom.
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[PrincessSparkle]

Sawyers harsh! lol But anyway that was wicked! You got the characters down perfect
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Steph xxxxx

[IntoTheVoid]

That was so GREAT Jen! And Sawyer! Bastard. I love it when you make Shannon swear

[mistojen]

!!! I'm so glad you guys liked it! I was really worried about getting Sawyer right, because that's pretty much the first and only time I'd written him...

I love making Shannon swear, too, actually...because she seems to me the type that would have the mouth of a sailor if Lost wasn't on network television

...eep, though, coding errors for the italics *goes to fix*

Thanks for the reviews, guys!
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[SuperKC]

[mistojen]

*squee!* I'm so glad my Sawyer is acceptable!
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sig by AlcoholicPixie